Requiem for an Eternal Soldier
by Alonia Everclear
Summary: Seifer discovers secrets about his past, ones that will bind him eternally to another. “Once I had dreamed I would meet a man that would save me from this madness, but I fear Seifer Almasy that you have only driven me in deeper” Seiftis
1. Shattering Crescendo

A/N: Yup. I'm at it again. Sorry ;) This will hopefully be my new epic.   
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing.   
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter One**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Shattering Crescendo **«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
The world was an ironic place.   
  
Tomorrow Seifer Almasy would be taking his fourth and hopefully final SeeD exam.   
  
It had been a year ago to this day that he had taken the third. The fateful trip to Dollet that had changed their lives forever. It had forever deemed him a traitor, Rinoa a sorceresses and Squall a hero.   
  
His return to Garden hadn't been well liked in the beginning. Matron had begged Cid and Squall to forgive him. So grudgingly he had been let back in and allowed to return to his studies. He was assigned to Instructor Nida. Who much to Seifer's discomfort had insisted on teaching about garden defenses when under attack. Seifer's attack of Balamb during the war was the perfect example.   
  
He never really saw THEM "The team", or "The heroes" or whatever self-righteous name they had been given that week. People in Balamb looked to them as gods. Irvine was swarmed with women, Selphie had people lining up to help her with the Garden Committee, and Zell had an endless supply of hotdogs bought for him by any number of Cadets.   
  
Seifer managed to make a few friends, acquaintances really so he didn't have to sit alone. His first few weeks he had sat alone, in the corner of the cafeteria, just watching all of them. He couldn't help but think of how different things would have turned out if he had been the one in Squall's shoes. There were times when he would have given his soul for the recognition Squall got. Other times when Seifer would have rather died then be Squall.   
  
Much like one fateful day in the cafeteria. It was shortly after his return, only about a week really. All six of THEM sat at a large round table in the middle of the cafeteria. It was like any other day. Selphie sat with Irvine's hat perched atop her head. Zell was pouring over a Combat King magazine, mouth full of hot dog. Quistis sat quietly stirring her coffee, no food in front of her. Irvine plopped down next to her bumping her arm, sending the coffee cup skittering across the table spending most of its contents right into Rinoa's lap.   
  
You would have thought it was the cataclysm.   
  
Rinoa stood up disgust sprawled across her face as the black liquid sank into her light blue duster. The girls obviously did not like each other. It had been apparent since they first met.   
  
"Were you born that clumsy, or did you take lessons Quistis?" Rinoa asked loudly outraged. Seifer winced as Quistis stood up slowly a mask of ice covering her face. He had seen that look of aggravation in the Instructors eyes before.   
  
"Well we all know you didn't take lessons to be an airhead Rinoa, you were born that way" her voice cracked much like her powerful Save the Queen.   
  
"Another witty retort from the Ice Queen" Rinoa shot back.   
  
"Well I did have to dumb my words down a bit so that you might understand them," Quistis said haughtily crossing her arms across her chest.   
  
"Did you think that up alone at night in bed? Have you been waiting for your chance to confront me?" Rinoa said as Squall got to his feet beside her.   
  
"Rin' don't. It was just some coffee," Squall said trying to be the voice of reason   
  
"Or are you just jealous that I have the one thing you want and can never have" Rinoa continued her lips curling up into a cruel smile.   
  
"Damn, Rin why have you got to be such a bitch?" Zell asked coming to Quistis' defense.   
  
"I'd like you to notice Zell, I'm not the real bitch at this table. Maybe if Quistis wasn't such a bitch she'd have a chance at getting a boyfriend, instead of following like a puppy in heat after mine" Rinoa said.   
  
Who knew there could have been two cataclysms in one day?   
  
Quistis leapt across the table sinking her fingers into Rinoa's hair as they went crashing to the floor, the table falling as well. One hand still imbedded in Rinoa's hair Quistis punched her right across the jaw. It wasn't a girly punch either. It was a full fisted manly punch. Rinoa screamed squirming out from under Quistis. She stood up holding her jaw tossing her chocolate hair back in defiance. The whole cafeteria looked at Quistis in shock. Quistis who stood with her fists at her side, anger still boiling within.   
  
"Squally, she hit me" Rinoa exclaimed demanding Squall came to her rescue. To Seifer it seemed like that was what Squall always did. He always jumped to her rescue.   
  
"You ok, Quisty?" Zell asked walking over to her. Rinoa's eyes flashed in anger.   
  
"How dare you ask if she's ok when I'm the hurt one" the princess exclaimed looking to Squall.   
  
Then Rinoa said something that would change the life of two people forever.   
  
"I won't stay in this place with her. Either she goes or I go Squall" Rinoa said standing as tall as she could looking every inch the sorceress. Squall stood between the two of them. Trapped between his love, and his childhood friend. At last he stepped over to Rinoa and wrapped his arm around her.   
  
"Better pack your things, Quisty" Rinoa said scornfully. Quistis ran from the cafeteria the students gathering around Rinoa. What choice did he have, Seifer followed his instincts.   
  
Seifer got up and ran after her.   
  
He didn't care if anyone noticed she didn't deserve to be treated like this. At last finding her in her dorm, the door open, her throwing things into a suitcase on the bed. He stood in the doorframe for a few moments.   
  
"What do you want?" she asked ceasing her packing to look up at him anger crackling in her eyes.   
  
"I always figured you the type to hit like a girl," Seifer said walking in and sitting down in her desk chair. He propped up his long legs on her desk, trench coat dripping to the floor.   
  
"Thank you so much for your support" Quistis said rolling her eyes.   
  
"Place won't be the same without you around, Instructor" Seifer said giving her his classic smirk.   
  
"And why is that?" she asked not stopping from packing.   
  
"No more cat fights at lunch time?" Seifer said. He didn't know why he couldn't just be nice. Nice wasn't a word in his vocabulary. Why couldn't he have been more comforting instead of fueling her anger?   
  
"Well let me tell you this, Seifer Almasy. No on will miss me in this place, I won't miss any of them, and I especially wont miss you" Quistis snapped back. She strode past him, holding her stuffed suitcase.   
  
She strode out of his life, that day.   
  
He was right things hadn't been the same with out her. THEY always looked one short. Zell sticking out like a fifth wheel. Soon he stopped hanging out with them all together preferring the company of the library girl. What was her name again? Selphie and Irvine had a VERY public break-up in the Quad. And during all this a mad rush for the open Instructor position happened, Nida eventually winning the job. It was to him Seifer had been assigned. Under constant tutelage of the man, Seifer was ready. Ready to take his test.   
  
Ready to become SeeD.   
  
Little did Seifer Almasy know that his SeeD test was another mission that would change the fate of the world, at least his world. The Hyperion wielding ex-knight had no idea what he was getting himself into.   
  
  
  
A/N: I'm trying something a little different with this story. I hope its not too far fatched. This story is dediated to all thoose who stuck with me through Shattered Thoughts, Broken Dreams. You know who you are. 


	2. Heavy Dream Melody

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Two**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Heavy Dream Melody **«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
_ The helm was heavy on his head the metal coming down to encase his cheeks. The great horns on the top spiraled towards the moon. The white horse galloping faster then any he had ever ridden. Lightening flashed purple agaisnt the grey cloud,s rain pouring from the sky. The suit of heavy silver armor encased his whole body.   
  
"Hey.. Hey.. Come on People" he heard his own voice, but he wasn't talking. The horse moved forward, him hearing its hooves hit the ground like thunder across the sky.   
  
"I've always gotta be doing somethin' BIG" his voice again. He carried a huge sword in one hand. It's swirling black metal calling to him. There were sounds of weapons being unsheathed. His horse snorting angry beneath him hoofs pawing at the ground.   
  
"Let me add another scar for ya" his voice echoed through out the helmet. Ringing right down to the core of his soul. It was time he unleashed the power of the great sword in his hand. Riding faster now he saw himself right in front of his horse. Looking angry in his ragged trench coat. The image of himself held up the Hyperion, and suddenly he felt himself being torn in two. A great voice ringed in his ears.   
  
"Thanks, Almasy for giving me the fourth" it said. _   
  


¸.·´¯`·» «·´¯`·.¸ ¸.·´¯`·» «·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·» «·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·» «·´¯`·.¸ 

  
  
Seifer awoke early the next morning breathing hard, the red glaring numbers on his alarm clock reading 7:21. Well it was early for him. That dream was so weird, it all seemed too familiar. He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. He didn't have his first class till noon, and then they would be leaving for the SeeD test. Lucky for him the person knocking on the door didn't awaken him. Or better yet, lucky for that person. He smirked throwing on his leather pants before swinging the door open.   
  
It should have been illegal for someone to be that cheery first thing in the morning.   
  
Selphie stood there in her usual yellow sundress her green eyes sparkling merrily.   
  
"Good morning Seifer!" she said inviting herself in and pushing past him. Seifer rolled his eyes closing the door behind her before taking a seat at his desk chair. She sat on his black leather couch looking around his small dorm room.   
  
"How can I help you?" Seifer asked hoping not to make one of the highest-ranking SeeD's in the garden angry before his test.   
  
"I've never been in your room before, I didn't expect it to be so clean" she said.   
  
"Well when I invite the ladies over I don't want them thinking I live in a pig-sty," He said winking at her. She giggled a bit before looking down at the black box in her hands. Her face grew solemn then as she looked back up at him.   
  
"I've been talking to Quistis, and she said she left something behind that she wanted me to give to you. Nida said it was all right. It wasn't really the GF Quistis would have picked. She would have rather had Shiva or Leviathan I'm sure, but Squall picked who got what" Selphie's rambling speech ended with her standing up. He stood up beside her looking down at the small girl.   
  
"You're giving me Quistis' GF?" Seifer asked wanting her to get to the point. Selphie nodded thrusting the black box into his hands.   
  
"She told me to tell you that you were always her favorite" Selphie said with a smile before bouncing out of the room. Seifer blinked at the onslaught of new information. Instructor Trepe cared enough to give him her GF. Or that she had the foresight to leave it behind for him. He blinked. She had faith in him. Now that was a strange feeling. He looked back down at the black box wondering what GF was contained within. So he did what he had to. He flipped the lid off with his thumb letting it flutter to the floor.   
  
Suddenly the room was filled with a great presence. Everything seemed to get heavier as he junctioned. _   
  
(~I AM DIABLOS~) _   
  
The words of the powerful GF rattled him to the core. The fact that Quistis had left something of this magnitude for him. With a GF equipped the world seemed clearer. No Question his eye site was sharper now. Seifer sighed; he was going to have to get used to the heavy feeling that Diablos left on him.   
  
"Thank you, Quistis" Seifer said out loud setting the black box down on his desk. _   
  
(~ Quistis has given me a new master then? ~) _   
  
Seifer didn't know if he would ever get used to the thundering heavy words of the GF rolling through his mind like that.   
  
"She has, if you find me worthy" Seifer said out loud. There was laughter in his head, deep rolling laugher. _   
  
(~ One can not refuse an Almasy ~) _   
  
"What do you mean by that?" Seifer asked looking around the room. _   
  
(~ Only time will tell ~) _   
  
He felt a bit lighter as Diablos settled himself in his brain. Seifer figured that was a clue that the conversation was over. He shrugged and walked into the bathroom to turn the shower on. He had to make sure he was ready for the SeeD exam.   
  
  
  
Hours later he was standing in front of Nida in the Quad. His whole class was there, all of them dressed in their cadet uniforms. Including him. The thing was itchy beyond all thought it was distracting. Squall stood next to Nida in front of the directory.   
  
"Cadets. I'm here to brief you on your mission today" Squall said his voice quite monotone. Seifer tired hard not to roll his eyes.   
  
"A new town as formed on the Centra continent. It a small peaceful village, specializing in crop growing. Unfortunately the toneberrys from the ruins have decided to start entering the village. You are all to go and start to clean up the toneberry population. I want each team to kill at least twenty. You will be positioned in the Centra ruins." Squall rambled off their positions, and their teams. Seifer looked at the two girls he was pared with.   
  
Tolia was a soft spoke polite girl. She always looked at the ground when speaking her voice barley above a whisper. She could never be a leader but her skill with the Nunchaku was second only to Selphie. She had long chocolate brown hair that formed ringlets around her face. Her eyes always downcast where a hazy shade of blue.   
  
Jaylar, the other girl was a completely different matter. She had deep burgundy hair framing her porcelain face with full lips. She was saucy arrogant, and knew she could have just about any man in the garden. She reminded Seifer of himself. She even somehow managed to make the SeeD uniform seem scandalous has it hung from her pronounced curves. She studied an ancient weapon; one that hadn't been used since Kiros Seagul used them. Her Katals were deadly, the glove like appendages hanging from her belt at this moment.   
  
Seifer was shaken from his thoughts when Squall named him squad commander.   
  
Seifer tried so hard not to be nervous on the way there. The SeeD boats seemed to be taking their time. Today was the day he would finally be SeeD. If he failed today then he was going to leave Garden forever. This was his last chance and he knew it. Seifer Almasy was ready for anything.   
  
  
  
Anything but the incredible boredom that followed after being posted. There were Squad D positioned almost at the top of the ruins. The two girls had long ago stopped talking as well as he. They sat the three of them all staring at the ground waiting for an elusive toneberry to appear.   
  
"This is the lamest mission I've been on yet" he growled getting on his feet. He walked along the wall tailing his fingers along it. Pacing, there was nothing else to do. Seifer stopped suddenly when his fingers hitched on a tiny crack in the wall. He frowned digging his fingers in deeper a great stone door opening.   
  
"What do you say girlies, wanna check it out" Seifer said looking at his two team members   
  
"Sure" Jaylar said hopping off the rock she was sitting on. Tolia looked hesitant then finally nodded her head. The followed him in weapons at the ready. In the back of the dark room sat a huge throne.   
  
The throne was massive jutting out from the back of the wall. It was made of dark stone scrolling design work climbed up the arms. The room had a sense of memories long forgotten. Boots scraping across the atone floor he moved closer to it. Almost without thinking he climbed into the throne.   
  
The walls around him suddenly seemed to melt away. Jaylar and Tolia disappearing. _   
  
Laughter and voices filled his ears. _   
  
It was so warm, he felt so heavy. _   
  
The back doors that had appeared on the far wall of the room opened, omitting a beautiful creature. She was almost as tall as he bedecked in red gown jewels encircling her throat. Her long blond hair tumbled around her shoulders.   
  
His green eyes met her blue, familiar blue eyes. _   
  
"Quistis?" he whispered the shock back to reality jarring. He didn't understand what had happened. Jaylar and Tolia were staring at him like he had grown a second head.   
  
"You all right?" Jaylar asked as he got up from the throne. Seifer nodded running a hand through his blond hair. All three of them turned when they heard voices right outside of the room. They rushed out confronting the three SeeD's standing there.   
  
"Squad D?" one of them asked briskly. Seifer nodded awaiting orders.   
  
"The order to evacuate has been given. Move out" The SeeD said rushing off with out a further word.   
  
"Lets go, the order to evacuate takes priority" Jaylar said heading down the stairs. Her words were nostalgic. Seifer followed with Tolia bringing up the rear. Suddenly the ground shifted beneath them an earthquake rumbling the ruins.   
  
"Run!" Seifer said wanting to get out of the unstable building. Jaylar sped up leading the way. Suddenly he heard a scream behind him as Tolia fell a great piece of rock protruding from her ankle.   
  
"Shit!" Seifer exclaimed yanking out his Hyperion as one of the Toneberry's at last appeared on the other side of Tolia. Tolia tried to stand but fell blood flowing fresh from her wound. Seifer felt the air around him get heavy. His GF appeared from the sky, red black wings stretching out against the blue. It attacked toneberry giving Seifer enough time to get in front of Tolia yelling.   
  
"Jaylar go, I got it" he said. The burgundy haired girl ran down the steps leaving him and the wounded behind. How he hated being chivalrous sometimes.   
  
Seifer turned to the toneberry an evil glint in his eye.   
  
  
  
A/N: I haven't done too much character to GF interaction before. It isn't too confusing is it? Anyone have any idea's on where this story is going?   
  
Thanks for all the reviews so far! Wow! I didn't expect such a respone! 


	3. Lament of Failure

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Three**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Lament of Failure **«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
His Hyperion had never been sharper. His wits never more clear. All he needed to do was get rid of this toneberry and carry the girl to safety. Seifer Almasy took a deep breath concentrating all his efforts on that one thing. One goal, to get her out of here alive. Battle was almost mechanical to him now. Slash, trigger he did it with out thinking. Soon the toneberry lied dead at his feet. Seifer grinned putting away his Hyperion before turning back to Tolia.   
  
"Let's go" Seifer said scooping her up into his arms. She was light as a feather, blood dripping onto his coat. He ran from the ruins dashing into the closing hatch of the Ragnarock. Selphie, of all people, came running over to help him. She knelt next to the small cadet the aura of magic all ready surrounding her. Seifer watched anxiously as Selphie performed her limit break casting Full-Cure on all three of them. Seifer was amazed by how strong her magic was. There was steel buried underneath that perky female.   
  
"She'll be all right, why don't you set her over there" Selphie said pointing to an empty bench seat near by. Seifer laid Tolia down on the seat and sat in a chair near by. When did I become Mr. Nice-Guy? The ride back to the Garden was uneventful.   
  
  
He sat in his dorm room scrubbing the blood from his light gray jacket. The whole Garden seemed tense waiting for Cid to call the names of the cadets who had passed over the intercom. Tolia had been rushed to the infirmary as upon arrival. With an assurance from Dr. Kowdaski that she would be all right Seifer had retreated to his room.   
  
  
The waiting was killing him.   
  
  
Cid should be calling names over the loud speaker. Telling who had passed the test. Who would go up to his office to receive honors as official SeeD. Seifer knew he had to pass, he had saved the girl's life after all. Something that was so wholly unlike him even he couldn't make sense of it all. The blood came out of his jacket easily. He had it treated everyone month, to keep it perfectly gray. It was one of his few possessions that he cared about. That and his Hyperion. The Hyperion winked at him from across the room sitting on the desk.   
  
  
Suddenly heaviness washed over him, Diablos demanded attention.   
  
  
_(~ I think your gaining morals Seifer ~)_   
  
  
Seifer snorted smirking a bit. Maybe Diablos was right, maybe he was changing. For the better.   
  
  
"I try" he said to the GF in his mind. Diablos gave him a firm impression of laughter as the heaviness left him. Suddenly Cid's voice blared out over the loud speaker. Seifer held his breath in anticipation. This was the moment he had been waiting for.   
  
  
"Will the following students please report to the Bridge. Rodaren GreenTree, Azure Lightwing, Jaylar Fornight, Tolia Lucitiania, Freeya Everclear, Thadius Ranger, Bianca Starfire, Taylina Clearwater, and Greylin Dankar" the voice Seifer almost like it was physical. He had failed. Failed for the fourth time. What had he done wrong? Why hadn't he passed. He grabbed the lamp off his nightstand and threw it across the room not caring if as it shattered across the floor. He grabbed his Hyperion striding out of the room.   
  
  
Down the elevator, passed the man at the front gate, towards the exit. People gave him a wide birth, sensing his anger. He was stopped short at the crowd of people gathered just beyond the front gate. Selphie stood up on a bench holding a megaphone. Her petite voice blasted through the thing.   
  
"We will stay here until Cid decides to pass Seifer Almasy. This mistreatment is unfair" Selphie shouted. The words were jarring. Selphie was holding a protest, for him? Tolia hopped up onto the bench next to her. Taking the microphone the soft-spoken girl looked out over the crowd.   
  
"Seifer saved my life, and for that he failed. Why should one fail when all they did was save a life!" Tolia exclaimed into the megaphone. Cheers of agreement rang through out the crowd. Selphie hopped off the bench sitting down. Everyone followed suit arranging them selves in front of the door out of the Garden.   
  
  
It was the strangest thing Seifer had ever seen.   
  
  
He walked closer to the crowd Selphie catching his eyes. She stood up and rushed over to him smiling.   
  
"You can't leave" Selphie said giving him a huge grin.   
  
"What do you people think your doing? I don't need your pity" Seifer growled shrugging the hand off that she had placed on his arm.   
  
"Pity?" Selphie asked her voice having a hint of anger, "This isn't just about you. This is about the unfairness of the whole Garden"   
  
"Unfairness?" a steely voice said from behind them. They turned to see Squall walking up with Cid at his side. Squall looked infuriated at Selphie whole demonstration.   
  
"What unfairness?" Squall asked again placing a hand on his hip.   
  
"I demand to know why Seifer was failed" Selphie said planting both hands on her hips. Squall shook his head running a hand through his unruly brown hair.   
  
"He didn't follow instructions, again" Squall said refusing to make eye contact with his long time rival.   
  
"HE SAVED A GIRL'S LIFE" Selphie shouted her little hands curling into fists.   
  
"He ignored the order to evacuate, staying behind to fight toneberrys. Most likely to show off" Squall said. Seifer scoffed unable to keep quiet any longer.   
  
"What are you afraid some one would show you up Puberty Boy?" Seifer spat his eyes lit with fury. Squall turned his head slowly, his eyes finally connecting with Seifer's.   
  
"..Whatever" Squall said coining his signature term. Cid came running up then his red cardigan making it easy to pick him out of the crowd.   
  
"What is going on!" the headmaster exclaimed throwing his hands up in the air.   
  
"Seifer Almasy becomes a SeeD, or half your student population walks" Selphie said her voice iron. Seifer snickered, amazed that she would stand up for him. Cid looked at Squall dumbfounded as Selphie turned and joined the group of students. Cid sighed and took his glass off cleaning them on the hem of his sweater.   
  
"Perhaps something can be worked out, Mr. Almasy" the headmaster said at last with a small sigh.   
  
  
Now he was sitting in the Headmaster's office looking out the windows at the rapidly growing bunch of people in front of the front gate. Who knew that anyone would do something like that for him? There was more to the spunky little brunette then he had guessed. The headmaster was outside talking very loudly to Squall. Seifer spossed the thought he couldn't hear them. But with Diablos equipped everything was so clear.   
  
"You can't possibly be considering this!" Squall said exasperation showing plain in his voice.   
  
"He has an amazing amount of potential. Perhaps solo missions are just what he needs" Cid replied.   
  
"Solo missions! You're going to make special exceptions for him?!" Squall said practically shouting.   
  
"I am the headmaster and I have final say. I'm only doing what is best. You go down and tell them that Seifer Almasy is SeeD" Cid said. Seifer felt his heart soar. He was SeeD. All though deep down he couldn't help but feel bitter that he hadn't earned it all on his own. Cid walked into the room, sitting down behind his huge desk.   
  
"Seifer, I want to be the first to welcome you into SeeD" Cid said. Seifer growled a bit standing up. He sliced his arm through the air with a shake of his head.   
  
"I won't accept it" he said.   
  
"What? Why?" Cid asked frowning.   
  
"I don't want you to hand it to me on a fucking plate. I want to earn SeeD" Seifer said. Cid nodded slowly.   
  
"I should have known better Seifer. Please sit down and accept my apology" the headmaster said gesturing to the chair in front of him. Seifer flopped down into the chair, drooping his arms over the sides.   
  
"I have a proposition to make, if you can complete the mission then you will have earned SeeD" Cid said shuffling around a few of the papers on his desk.   
  
"I'm listening" Seifer said raising one of his golden eyebrows.   
  
"I want you to began the retrieval process of Quistis Trepe" Cid said.   
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Hehe the opposite of a usuall Seiftis cliche. Normally Quistis gets called to the office to look for Seifer.   
  
  
I hope you guys like this, I'm trying very hard to make the chapters longer then Shattered Thoughts, Broken Dreams. I'm also trying to keep Seifer more in character. What do you think? 


	4. Searching Overture

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Four**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Searching Overture**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
"Retrieval process?" Seifer asked raising his eyebrows. Cid wanted him to hunt down Quistis Trepe and bring her back to the Garden?   
  
"Technically she is still SeeD. When she left she was never properly discharged" Cid said.   
  
"She only left because Miss Princess demanded it" Seifer said with a snort. Sometimes he wondered what he ever had seen in Rinoa.   
  
"Focus please, Seifer" Cid said drawing the cadets attention back to him. Seifer glared at Cid, waiting.   
  
"Well where is she?" Seifer snapped crossing his arms impatiently across his chest. Cid smiled slightly shuffling papers again.   
  
"Well that's part of the problem, we don't know," Cid said. Seifer ever so casually propped his booted feet up on Cid's mahogany desk, arrogance sprawled across his face.   
  
"You want me to play gopher for you then?" the ex-knight asked pulling a pack of cigarettes out from him inner jacket pocket.   
  
"Don't smoke those in here!" Cid snapped. Seifer chuckled a bit shaking his head.   
  
"Calm down, Headmaster" Seifer said slipping the pack back where it belonged.   
  
"You will leave immediately. Upon the arrival of Quistis Trepe in the Garden you will be promoted to full-fledged SeeD" Cid said obvious annoyance showing in his face.   
  
"Yes sir" Seifer said standing up giving him a half-assed salute before leaving the office. To his surprise sitting in the little red waiting room was Selphie. Her bright yellow dress clashed amongst the colors giving him a headache almost immediately.   
  
"Is it true, are you SeeD?" she demanded little fists balled up on her hips.   
  
"Might as well be" Seifer said giving her his cocky smirk. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. It occurred to him that Selphie might know where Quistis was making his easy mission even more easy.   
  
"Hey, sunshine, you wouldn't know where I could find my former instructor?" Seifer asked wrapping an arm around her shoulder; smirk still sprawled across his face.   
  
"Quistis? What do you need her for?" Selphie asked pushing his arm off her shoulders.   
  
"My life wouldn't be complete without the chance to rub it in her face that I made SeeD, under someone else's tutelage. Nida no less"   
  
"Why have you always gotta be such an ass!" Selphie exclaimed stomping hard on his toe before heading into the Headmasters office. Seifer grinned and chuckled. He loved it when he could get under someone's skin that easy. He sauntered off to his room to pack his things, to head off for his easy mission.   
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·».«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
Why in Hyne's entire universe did he think that this mission would be easy? It was obvious if Quistis Trepe didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be. Seifer groaned slumping down into the seat on the train. Another train ride to another city. Deling City, Dollet, Winhill, Balamb; none of them had any clues to where Quistis was. He eyed the phone hanging on the back of the seat bitterly still debating on calling Selphie. He knew that little cheery annoyance knew where Quistis was. No one had seen the blond former Instructor.   
  
Seifer was at the end of his sanity, so he picked up the phone and dialed the Garden's number.   
  
"Balamb Garden, how can I direct your call?" Xu's voice issued forth from the phone bringing and instant smirk to Seifer's face.   
  
"Xu, baby, how ya been?" Seifer drawled into the phone leaning casually back in to the seat.   
  
"Almasy?" Xu questioned practically growling into the phone.   
  
"Not happy to hear from me?" he asked.   
  
"What do you want?" she asked her voice angry.   
  
"Are you still mad about that whole skinny dipping incident? I swear, babe, no one saw you walking back into the school"   
  
"Only half the student population, not to mention the pictures all over the network" Xu said growling. Seifer laughed remembering the incident. It had been one of his best. Luring Xu to the beach, convincing her to go skinny-dipping, and then disappearing with her clothes. Not to mention all the pictures he got of her walking back into the school. Then the posting of them in her Cadet profile on the Balamb network. Ingenious.   
  
"Just put me through to our resident ray of sunshine's room please" Seifer said rolling his eyes.   
  
"What do you want Selphie for?" Xu asked.   
  
"To talk, it's dire to my mission" Seifer said his voice containing a slight growl.   
  
"Oh of course, Mr. Almasy the all mighty lapdog" Xu said clicking the phone over to drop him on hold. Seifer laughed, the day was turning out not to be so bad after all. A few minutes later the he heard the phone being picked up.   
  
"Hello" a man's voice drawled into the phone heavy with the sound of sleep.   
  
"Irvine? Xu was spossed to put me through to Selphie" Seifer said massaging his temples a bit.   
  
"Yeah, she sent you to the right room. Let me get Selph" Irvine said Seifer wincing a bit as the phone clattered loudly on something. He heard the sound of muffled voices for a moment and then   
  
"Hello?" Selphie sounded sleepy as well.   
  
"What are you two doing asleep at one in the afternoon" Seifer asked voice dripping with arrogance.   
  
"Sleeping, Duh?" Selphie retorted. He snickered shaking his head.   
  
"Look, Selphie, I need your help. I still can't find Trepe," He said at last. She giggled a little with a small sigh.   
  
"Don't you ever read the newspapers?" Selphie asked with a yawn.   
  
"No time" he replied getting impatient.   
  
"See of you can dig up a copy of yesterdays paper, that might help ya Almasy" Selphie said with a giggle before dropping the phone on the receiver. Seifer stared incredulously at the receiver in his hand before hanging it back up. Yesterdays newspaper. He'd have to go to a library, or see if someone on the train had one. He looked around at all the suites and decided to get this over with.   
  
So he stood up and cleared his throat a bit.   
  
"Anyone got a newspaper from yesterday" he said loudly his booming voice catching all of their attentions. Some of their eyes widened when they say the blood red crosses smeared down his sleeves. Others just rolled their eyes and looked back to whatever they were doing.   
  
"I do" came a small voice suddenly from behind him. Seifer whirled around spotting a small girl with red hair sitting next to an older copy of her. Mother and daughter. A newspaper was spread out in front of the small girl a stack of crayons to one side. Colored streaks ran across the black and white writing.   
  
"This is yesterdays," the small girl said looking up at him with doey brown eyes.   
  
"Mind if I look at it for a sec" Seifer said walking over to her.   
  
"Sure! No problem!" the girl said moving her crayons off of it and offering it to him with her small hand. Seifer took it form her flashing a smile before looking over the front page. The black print screamed out at him.   
  


* * *

  
  
TIMBER REVOLUTIONARY FRONT TO MEET WITH GALBADIAN GOVERNMENT.   
  
Quistis Trepe, newly elected head of the Timber Revolutionary Freedom front has arranged a meeting between herself and the other ten members of the Revolutionary council. They will be speaking of Timber's freedom and hoping to arrange an alliance so that Timber is no longer vulnerable to attacks.   
  


* * *

Seifer scanned the article quickly eyeing the picture of her surrounded by ten other people. He had to smile because the small girl had drawn glasses and a mustache on all of them. Seifer knelt down next to the girl and grabbed the black crayon.   
  
"She looks more like this" Seifer said as he drew Quistis' nose upturned a bit more and her arms folded across her chest. The little girl giggled smiling up at him with her sparkling brown eyes.   
  
"You know her?" the girl asked as Seifer stood up.   
  
"I used to, a long time ago. She was my teacher" Seifer said.   
  
"A teacher? What's it like to be in school?" she asked. Seifer frowned looking at the mother, all kids her age should be in school.   
  
"We've never had the Gil to send her to school" the mother said shortly. Seifer suddenly noticed their poor clothes and ragged shoes. His lips formed a firm line, and he shook his head. Since when did he care? When did he become charitable? He sighed digging into his pocket for some Gil. He set it on the girl's newspaper with a small smile before turning and walking back to his seat.   
  
"Hey! Thanks mister!" the little girl called after him, her mother's exclamations ringing in his ears. Perhaps it was that she was a kid, that it had touched him. He sighed staring out the window sullenly. Quistis was in Timber, how lucky it was the train was heading there right now.   
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·».«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
Timber looked the same it did the last time he had been there. Dirty, and overpopulated for such a small town. The Galbadian government hadn't allowed them to build any new housing at all. Families were living three to a home, and there were no jobs. People crowded the streets begging for Gil. Unfortunately there was no Gil to give, Timber's economy had gone totally down hill. Seifer sighed heading for the Hotel hoping to get a room. It a dingy place set far in the back of town, they had one room left the other all being rented out as homes. Seifer gladly took it and went up to the top floor to drop his luggage.   
  
He fled the hotel heading for the nearest bar, deciding to get drunk before he went to find Quistis the next day. He strode down the streets of Timber like he owned the place, gray trench coat swirling out behind. People gave him a wide berth usually ignoring him all together.   
  
Heaviness crowded his mind; he paused in the middle of the street.   
  
_(~ In the ally to your left, go now ~) _   
  
Seifer frowned glaring down the dark alleyway off to his left. He shrugged before turning into it and following the stony walls. There was scratching noises ahead, and suddenly a muffled shout. His feet moved almost without thinking, drawing the shining gunblade at his side. He burst into the square at the end of the ally gunblade tight in his grip. A woman was lying on the ground two men standing over her. His eyes glistened spotting the shock of golden hair lying on the dirty floor of the ally.   
  
"What have we got here?" Seifer said with a smirk before launching into an attack.   
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I am trying very hard to keep Seifer in character. I hope that you all think he is. I also hope that this story that this story is original.   
Stay tuned for Quisty next chapy! :) Thank you everyone for all the great reviews!! :D 


	5. Concerted Kidnapping

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Five**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Concerted Kidnapping **«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
The thugs were easy to deal with. Two quick slashes with his Hyperion and they were down for the count. Soon Seifer found himself helping the golden haired woman to her feet.   
  
  
To his great dismay it was not Quistis.   
  
  
"I could have taken them" she spat wrenching her arm away from him. Her deep brown eyes were smoldering with anger.   
  
  
"And you seemed to be doing oh so well from your spot on the ground" he sneered back rolling his eyes. She eyed him up and down dusting off her black pants.   
  
  
"What are you? Some kind of circus freak?" she said with a snort.   
  
  
"I happen to be a SeeD" Seifer said applying his usual trademark smirk. She rolled her eyes skyward planting a hand on her hip.   
  
  
"Please, like that's supposed to scare me" she said turning to walk out of the ally way.   
  
  
"Your welcome" Seifer called heading after her voice dripping with sarcasm.   
  
  
"My pleasure" she called over her shoulder not realizing how well he was keeping time with her.   
  
  
"I shoulda left you back there in the ally!" he exclaimed as she stopped short in front of a huge building.   
  
  
"What are you stalking me now?" she asked spinning around to look at him.   
  
  
"No, just wondering where to look if I ever need to rescue an ungrateful bitch" Seifer said grinning at her. She scowled fists balling at her sides. She turned and stormed into the building slamming the door behind her. Seifer smirked looking up at the sign over to door. The smile slid off his face when he read the words.   
  
  
"The corporate offices of The Time Revolution Front" Seifer read them out loud shaking his head at his amazing luck. Now he knew exactly where to search for Quistis tomorrow. He turned whistling a slight tune as he headed back to the hotel.   
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·». «·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
The building in the day looked much like it did at night. Seifer stood out in front of it for a few moments a bouquet of freshly cut roses in his hand, a smirk on his face. He strode into the office announcing his presence by the door banging open. He was greeted with a small lobby, empty except for the woman from last night sitting behind a circular desk.   
  
  
"What do you want?" the blond asked rolling her eyes. Seifer put on his most charming smile and sauntered over to the desk. He leaned on it a bit looking down at the papers she was writing. She hurriedly covered them before looking back up into his eyes.   
  
  
"Tell Ms. Trepe that a Mr. Leonheart is here to see her" Seifer said the smirk never leaving him. She growled into the phone announcing a Mr. Leonheart.   
  
  
"Ms. Trepe will see you. Right this way" the woman said standing up and leading him through a short hallway to an ornately carved door.   
  
  
"Thank you dear" Seifer said winking at her before stepping into Quistis' office. He was greeted with the sight of Quistis sitting behind a large mahogany desk, her hands folded in front of her. She was wearing a black business suit, blond hair up in a tight bun. Her blue eyes narrowed when she saw him, lips forming a frown.   
  
  
"Well, I knew you'd never let me in, So I thought I'd pretend to be Squall for a minute" Seifer said crossing the room sauntering like he owned the place.   
  
  
"What brings you here, Seifer" Quistis asked watching in horror as he plopped down in one of her chairs and then promptly put both of his booted feet on her nicely polished desk.   
  
  
"Well I wanted to bring you something" he said grinning at her. She raised an eyebrow as he handed her the bouquet of flowers. She took a whiff smiling pleasantly but still suspiciously looking at him. He grinned and pulled a shining red apple out of his pocket setting on the desk before her.   
  
  
"I'm not your teacher anymore" Quistis said coldly. He nodded solemnly.   
  
  
"Nida was. I passed the SeeD exam, Instructor" he said.   
  
  
"Oh really? Well congrats" Quistis said.   
  
  
"Does it just eat you up that I could do it with Nida, and not with you?" Seifer asked.   
  
  
"You always said I was mediocre" she responded blandly. He sighed a bit shaking his head, it used to be much easier to get to her.   
  
  
"Your still my favorite teach" he said grinning a bit.   
  
  
"And you're still my favorite student, Seifer" she said her voice carrying a tint of sadness.   
  
  
"What are you doing here in Timber?" Seifer asked looking around at the furnishings in her office.   
  
  
"Accomplishing the one thing that the little princess never could" Quistis said coolly.   
  
  
"So this is a Rinoa revenge thing?" Seifer asked.   
  
  
"Yes, this is a Rinoa revenge thing" she said dryly with a roll of her eyes.   
  
  
"Come back to Garden" he said his voice a bit commanding.   
  
  
"Garden?" she asked quirking her eyebrow again.   
  
  
"Yes"   
  
  
"What do I have there to go back to?" she asked.   
  
  
"My first mission is to bring you back. We are either going to do this the hard way or the easy way" Seifer said standing up slowly, placing both hands on the desk leaning over closer to her. She shook her head, the golden fish tail of her hair bobbing slightly.   
  
  
"Squall kicked me out" she said.   
  
  
"No, you left before Squall even said anything. Technically your still SeeD" he said smirking at her.   
  
  
"What do they want me back for?" Quistis asked staring into his emerald eyes.   
  
  
"Who knows, I just follow order. So you commin' or not?" he asked.   
  
  
"You follow orders? Hardly" she said her voice still carrying that dry tone.   
  
  
He was done playing her games.   
  
  
He grinned and suddenly reached across the table grabbing her around the waist. He pulled her easily over the desk, slinging her over his shoulder.   
  
  
"Put me down!" she shouted kicking her feet a bit. She punched his back, struggling to get free.   
  
  
"Nope, it's time to go home" Seifer said striding out of the office easily carrying her weight.   
  
  
"I hate you Seifer Almasy!" she shouted as the walked along the hallway to the lobby.   
  
  
"Gee, I never knew you felt so strongly Instructor" he said arrogantly rolling his eyes. They entered the lobby, the blond girl hopping up from behind her desk.   
  
  
"Elsbeth, call the town guard!" Quistis shouted at her still pounding her small fists into his back.   
  
  
"What's going on?" Elsbeth asked as Seifer headed for the door.   
  
  
"When the police arrive tell them that I have taken Ms. Trepe into SeeD custody" Seifer called over his empty shoulder.   
  
  
"How dare you Seifer! You ungrateful arrogant pig! This is kidnapping" she screamed as he moved out onto the street.   
  
  
"Politics have made you fat Quis, You sure seemed to have gained a lot of weight," he said shifting a bit. She began to curse hitting more wildly at him. The whole thing must have been a funny sight to look at. Seifer in all his tallness, gray trench coat swirling around him. The famous Quistis Trepe leader of the Timber Revolution front slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. None of the towns people bothered to look their way after spotting Seifer's free hand curled around the hilt of his Hyperion, and the menacing look in his eyes. Seifer could be a very scary man.   
  
  
Getting her onto the train proved to be no problem. He strode in and went directly into the SeeD cabin. The conductor asked no questions preferring to leave SeeD matters alone.   
  
  
"I'm not going to stand for this!" Quistis exclaimed. Seifer rolled his eyes waiting a few moments for the train to start before he dumped her unceremoniously on the seat.   
  
  
"You're going to the Garden, Trepe. Deal with it" he hissed at her, his hand caressing his gunblade.   
  
  
"No. I'm not" she said defiantly standing up. Seifer chuckled and shook his head a bit.   
  
  
"You're so out of shape, you'll never be able to beat me" He said drawing back and falling into a fighting stance. She grinned at his pulling her whip from her side, the sharp crack ringing through the cabin. She led the battle with an attack, the tip of the whip flicking dust of the shoulder of his jacket.   
  
  
"Not as rusty as I thought" Seifer said smirk. She gave him a half smile back waiting on the balls of her feet for his attack. She knew all his moves, hell she was the one that taught them to him. He grinned a bit, grip tightening. He moved quickly throwing all his weight into her sending them toppling onto the seat. Hyperion and Save the Queen fell to the ground, intertwined around each other. Black metal, Golden whip. She was warm underneath him squirming under his weight. His trench was twined around her legs as she struggled.   
  
  
"Get offa me you oaf!" she exclaimed pushing at him.   
  
  
"I kind of like it right here, me on top" he said cockily. She scowled suddenly her forehead connected with his nose.   
  
  
"Fuck, Trepe" Seifer said hopping up putting a gloved hand to his bloody nose. She stood up smoothing her black suit looking at him haughtily.   
  
  
"You got what you deserved" she said as she patted her golden hair into place.   
  
  
Then all there was, was noise.   
  
  
Shattering, the window broken behind her. Her framed in the sunshine, before a great creature that was screaming blotted it out. It's talons clenched around her, and she screamed. Seifer fell forward darkness falling like a cloak over his eyes. He couldn't see, all he heard was her screams mingling with the monsters. Blood ran down his face, into his mouth as he tried to call out to her. More screaming, a crunching noise and finally a great rush of wind as the cabin fell silent.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Bleah I feel really bleah about this chapter. You guys like yes, no? Should I continue this or scrap it all together?   
  
  
Thanks for all the reviews, and a special thanks to all thoose that have joined the msg board! :) 


	6. Tune of a Golden Clue

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Six**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Tune of a Golden Clue**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
_ The flame roared around like the hands of the devil reaching out for him. They wanted to claim him, to take him to their fiery deaths. Never allow the little boy to see the blue sky again. He ran as fast as he could a tiny teddy clutched to his chest. His mother screamed behind him smoke rising from her layered skirts.   
  
"No mommy!" the little boy's voice echoed in through the marble hallway, the licking flames. He rushed at her and beat the flames down with his teddy bear, before putting his little hand into hers. She smiled down at her with her thin lips. They ran together along the corridor smoke filling to boy's lungs.   
  
Suddenly the mother and her son skidded to a stop before a woman standing in the middle of the hallway. Her purple gown shimmered in the firelight, her would be beautiful face ruined by a cruel smile.   
  
"Why?" the boy's mother asked her voice so sad.   
  
"You should have kept your hands off my property" the woman in purple said.   
  
"I hate you!" the boy screamed suddenly running at the strange woman. _   
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»****«·´¯`·.¸**   


  
  
  
Heaviness fell upon Seifer, he couldn't move his legs his arms, and his eyes wouldn't open.   
  
_(~You WILL awaken Almasy~) _   
  
The rumbling voice cascaded through his mind like a terrible thunder. Seifer's eyes flew open suddenly, the world coming into a fuzzy focus. The train car was empty besides him, glass from the window covering everything.   
  
"Fuck" he said out loud as the realization that Quistis was gone came crashing down around him. He rushed to the window glass crunching under his steel decorated boots. He carelessly brought his hands down on the windowsill, wincing only slightly as the jagged sharp glass remains sliced through his leather gloves. Pain dug into his palms, forcing him to grit his teeth to keep from crying out.   
  
The site in front of him was enough to make him cry out alone.   
  
A great skeletal being floated there, marring the blue sky. It had no legs, just a torso and a trailing spine. Great membrane covered winged sprouted from a crimson cloak trailing down its back. Its great horned skull, carried red eyes burning into him like hot embers. One skeletal arm was clutched around Quistis covering his mouth with a long fingered bone hand. He body lay limp against the creature that dwarfed her so easily. The other hand pointed slowly at Seifer, a grin spreading across the monster's face. Quistis' blue eyes were huge pool of fear.   
  
Then the beast flicked something gold at him, suddenly disappearing.   
  
Seifer watched the golden disc flip end over end through the air. It gleamed in the sun, glinting playfully. Seifer reached out and caught easily, the metal cold through the slices in his gloves. He growled talking his gloves off, tossing the ruined black leather to the ground. He held the flat disc in one hand palm. A coin, strange minting, nothing like he had ever seen. He frowned clenching his fist around it.   
  
Now his only hope in finding Quistis lay in the small, gold coin. Obviously the creature wanted him to go after them. Why else would it have given him such a clue. The train lurched to a stop, finally arriving in Balamb. He shook her head exiting the train into the pastel colored town. The walk through town was short, it was the arrival at Balamb that he dreaded.   
  
The military school loomed before him, a giant premonition of doom. He was never going to be SeeD at this rate. He had let the woman he was kidnapping get away. Worst of all it had to be Trepe. He growled kicking a plant on his way in the front gate.   
  
He took the back way into the library hoping to avoid everyone he knew. He wouldn't be able to handle it right now if they found out that he had failed, again. He scowled grabbing every coin book of the shelf. He threw them angrily down on the table flopping down into a chair. He suppressed a groan pulling the first book towards him.   
  
  
  
Hours later, at the breaking point frustration someone flopped down into the seat next to him. He looked at her through the corner of his eye. It was that library girl of Zell's who always wore her hair in a ponytail. She flashed Seifer a smile looking over his arm at the book in his hands.   
  
"Lookin' for some particular?" she asked.   
  
"What's it to you?" he countered slamming the book shut.   
  
"Sorr-y, I was just trying to do my job" she said standing up.   
  
"Yeah well go back to doing it somewhere else" Seifer said turning back to the book.   
  
"If you're looking for something particular, I know someone who collects coins" she said walking away.   
  
"Who?" Seifer asked looking up.   
  
"Zell" she said winking over her shoulder at him. Seifer let the book clatter to the table, raking a hand through his blond hair. Great, now he had to hunt out Chicken Wuss to find out where Quistis was. Seifer stood up, the chair clattering to the ground as he stormed out of the library.   
  
  
  
He was a thunderstorm rolling through Balamb Garden, heading straight for Zell's dorm. Lightning flashed in his eyes, thunder rolling across his gray coat. He stopped short at the door raising one hand to pound on the door. It wasn't long before the blond tattooed man opened the door.   
  
"What do you want" Zell asked evenly. Seifer scowled. If there was one thing he hated more then asking for help, it was asking for help from Chicken Wuss.   
  
"I need your help" Seifer said through his gritted teeth hands curled into fists. Zell gave him a half smile and raised his eyebrows.   
  
"Help? You want help from me?" Zell said.   
  
"No I want help from your shoe" Seifer said rolling his eyes. Zell snickered and shook his head.   
  
"Gotta be nicer then that, Seify. Now say please" Zell said leaning casually on the door crossing his arms. Seifer's eyes widened as his scowl deepened.   
  
"Please" he squeezed out as if it was painful.   
  
"Good boy, now that wasn't hard was it?" Zell said leading him into his dorm room.   
  
"Fuck you" Seifer said looking around the tidy marshal artist room. Funny, he always figured that Chicken Wuss would be a slob.   
  
"Sit?" Zell said motioning to the couch as he took a seat in an armchair.   
  
"Don't mind if I do" Seifer said. Seifer flopped down onto the couch, by force of habit propping his feet up on the table.   
  
"So what is it the great Seifer Almasy needs to ask a lonely pee-on like me for help with?" Zell said. Seifer took the coin out of his pocket laying it flat on the table. Then he slid it across with one finger, watching Zell's eyes light up.   
  
"Where did you get this?" Zell asked picking up the shiny piece of metal.   
  
"You tell me, I'll tell you" Seifer said.   
  
"They call it a Medarra. It's a coin from a very ancient time when a Sorceress ruled the continent of Centra. Your turn" Zell said.   
  
"The monster that kidnapped Quistis threw it at me" Seifer said deciding to get right to the point. Zell's eyes widened, and he stood up rushing over to a bookshelf. He pulled out an old book flipping through the pages.   
  
"See here" Zell said as he pointed to a picture of the coin. It was exact, the picture perfect.   
  
"What's it mean?" Seifer said.   
  
"Well the legend says that the sorceress queen was sealed up into her tomb, with every coin like this that was ever minted" Zell said.   
  
"Where's the tomb" Seifer said.   
  
"Centra" Zell answered. Seifer spun grabbing the coin out of Zell's hand. He was all ready heading for the door.   
  
"Wait, you're not going alone" Zell said remembering to grab his Ehrgeiz as he headed out after Seifer.   
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Thanks for all your support everyone! I had such a hard time writing this chapter! I hope it wasn't too boring.. 


	7. Tomb Ballad

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Seven**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Tomb Ballad**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
"You can't just decide to borrow the Ragnarock!" Zell exclaimed as he followed Seifer towards the massive red ship in the distance. It dragon like form awaited open for them, beckoning.   
  
"Why not?" Seifer snapped starting to walk up into the open hatch in the back.   
  
"Well, for one you don't know the first thing about flying it" Zell said haughtily.   
  
"You're right" Seifer said pausing for a moment before turning to look at Zell. Seifer's trademark smirk slowly slid across his face.   
  
"What?" Zell asked frowning.   
  
"But you know how to fly it" Seifer said grabbing Zell's shirt and shoving him toward the pilot's seat. Zell scowled at him and sat down in the gray leather chair.   
  
"Centra Zell, Quistis is waiting" Seifer growled flopping down in the navigator's chair.   
  
"What do you care about Quistis anyway?" Zell snapped as he started up the Ragnarock's engines.   
  
"I gotta find her if I want to find her if I want to be SeeD" Seifer said glaring out the window as garden got smaller and smaller beneath them.   
  
"So as usual this is about yourself?" Zell questioned banking the plane a bit to head towards Centra.   
  
"Of course. Why the hell would I want to go half away across the world to save that bitch?" Seifer asked.   
  
"Don't call her that" Zell said through gritted teeth.   
  
"Aww does Chicken Wuss have a crush on the ex-Instructor?" Seifer said glaring across at him.   
  
"Fuck you Seifer" Zell said. Seifer laughed with a pleased smirk looked out the window again.   
  
"So where in the mountain's is this grave?" Seifer asked.   
  
"Don't know" Zell answered shortly.   
  
"You don't know!" Seifer exclaimed practically yelling.   
  
"I'll find it, don't worry" Zell said as the crests of the Centra peaks appeared on the horizon.   
  
"You better, Chicken Wuss" Seifer grumbled sulking into his seat.   
  
"There!" Zell shouted suddenly pointing the Ragnarock into a dive. Seifer was almost scared. Until the great claws of the Ragnarock shot out grabbing onto the surface of the mountain wall.   
  
"Another perfect landing, Zell. How do you except us to get down!" Seifer shouted fighting the urge to strangle the blond warrior. Zell looked at him and grinned crinkling the black tattoo that stretched across his face.   
  
"There's a ledge right below us, just jump" Zell said throwing open the door next top him.   
  
"You must be crazy!" Seifer yelled as Zell easily hopped out of the Ragnarock. Seifer moaned rolling his eyes skyward. No way was he about to let Chicken Wuss show him up.   
  
"Hyne" Seifer said slowly as he pushed to door open. He rolled his neck popping it before dropping out the door. His eyes closed tight he was surprised when he landed with a jarring impact.   
  
"Nice going" Zell said with a snicker as Seifer stood up.   
  
"Shut the hell up" Seifer shot back dusting off his trench coat. He stopped suddenly looking up at the scene before him. Two doors double his height loomed in front of them both. Carved right out of the mountain wall they were covered with intricate scrollwork. A giant M embossed the center of the doors, announcing whose tomb it really was.   
  
  
  
One problem though, there was no door handles.   
  
  
  
"We could try pushing it?" Zell said heaving his body weight onto the door. Seifer stepped up beside him and leaned into the rock.   
  
"I don't think this will work, Chicken" Seifer said.   
  
"Fine, what's your idea?" Zell asked. Seifer shook his head and stepped back a few feet.   
  
"Firaga" he whispered letting the powerful spell roll from his fingertips into direct contact with the door. Zell watched dumbfounded as the rock melted away around the rolling ball of fire. It left a small space large enough for them to crawl though.   
  
"Not bad" Zell said shrugging a bit. He stepped up to the hole placing his hands on each side, and pulled himself through. Seifer followed shortly behind wishing he had a new pair of gloves as he grabbed the still warm rock.   
  
  
  
The room was dark around the two of them. Dense and dank, water heard dripping far in the distance. Seifer pulled his trusty lighter from his inside pocket flicking it on. An aura of dim flickering light surrounded the two of them as the moved further into the cave.   
  
  
  
The walls were light sand colored stone covered in all kind of strange carvings. Pictures and words melded together. Great beasts and beautiful angels stared at them crying for release from their stone prisons.   
  
"Creepy" Zell muttered under his breath.   
  
"No shit" Seifer said back as they approached a huge platform. A marble statue towered on top of it. A serene face woman looked down upon them, her rippling dress forever caught within stone. Her stone hand reached out to them beckoning them closer.   
  
  
  
Then out of the shadows something hit Seifer hard on the back, sending the silver lighter skittering to the floor.   
  
  
  
**

¸.·´¯`·». «·´¯`·.¸

**   
  
  
  
Her hand was very cold, her head pounding and her feet hurt. All of this Quistis Trepe knew before she opened her eyes. The burning white light that left rails against her vision when she finally opened her eyes only made it worse. She blinked against the whiteness trying to flex her cold hand. It didn't move it didn't bend. She breathed heavily trying to peer around the room. She stopped moving suddenly when she heard voices.   
  
"Mistress, she is awake" a male voice said.   
  
"At last, and the fusion?" a female voice responded.   
  
"Successful" the male voice responded. Quistis forced her eyes open to look at her right hand. It was entirely encased in a metal cast.   
  
All Quistis could do was scream.   
  
  
  
A/N: Boring Chapy I know, Sorry. More excitment next time, I swear! :) 


	8. Alla Capella Interlude

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Eight**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Alla Capella Interlude **«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
_   
  
The creamy white dressed whispered on the stone beneath her feet. The open corridor was flooded with the light of the setting sun. It reflected pale pink against the smattering of dusty clouds in the sky. A slight wind blew through the trees, leaves rustling to make their own tune. The rebel wind blew leaves up around her feet, sending the spiraling around her.   
  
  
  
He waited for her at the end of the hall. The hall opened into a huge courtyard covered in green grass, with huge towering oak trees. He was tall, bulking, covered in black armor. The great sword that was usually sheathed at his side was stuck into the ground. The huge horned helm usually adorning his head resting upon the hilt of the sword. He turned to look at her, a broad smile splitting his face.   
  
  
  
"You made it" she gasped rushing into his arms. Dark knight, white lady melded into each other's embrace. The world stopped for them at that moment.   
  
"I would never miss these moments with you" he said tipping her face back to plant a kiss on her lips. He smelled of metal and sword polish. Lips firm, searching. They pulled away breathing together. Then he noticed the sadness that had invaded her usually sparkling blue eyes.   
  
"What's wrong" he asked. She took a step back, bottom lip quivering.   
  
"There is something I must tell you" she said wafting away to glide down on a stone bench near by.   
  
"What is it?" he asked sitting down next to her. She tipped her head back, basking like a cat in the warmth of the sun. The stalling only took a moment. She sighed looking at him, sapphire eyes heavy with grief.   
  
"It has happened. I am betrothed" she whispered. Saying it was like a sin, breaking both of their hearts. His breath escaped him, and he turned from her pain welling in his heart.   
  
"What about us?" he asked breath hitching in the back of his throat.   
  
"I still love you!" she exclaimed the tears flowing freely now.   
  
"Then why are you going to marry someone else?" he asked standing up.   
  
"My father commands it!" she watched him as he began to pace. It was a common trait of his when he was angry.   
  
"Why can't you marry me! I love you!" he exclaimed pausing for a moment to throw his hands up in the air.   
  
"Royalty doesn't marry for love" she said stonily.   
  
"So you will marry someone else?" he asked his voice hard.   
  
"I don't want to, please believe me" she pleaded.   
  
"So this is it then, we are over" he said softly turning fully to look at her.   
  
"No, don't say that" she said surging to her feet.   
  
"Who is it, who is going to take my place in you heart?" he asked cruelly. She choked the name out, eyes lowered to the floor. Upon hearing the name he only grew angrier.   
  
"Him!? Why him? You know he's my rival!" the knight exclaimed.   
  
"It's not like I have much of a choice. I don't want to marry him. Please listen to me!" she shouted at him. He stopped, looking down at her tear stained face. Suddenly he believed her, she would always love him. And he would always love her.   
  
"I love you" he said pulling her to his chest. She sobbed against his cold steel armor.   
  
"Promise me, that no matter what happens you will always love me. Swear it" she whispered her voice echoing across the metal.   
  
"I swear" he whispered into her hair. She sobbed against him again. So much love between them it was almost painful. So much hurt and anger. The princess and the knight. Star crossed lovers, destined to be together but driven apart by circumstance.   
  
"I still have to marry him" she whispered.   
  
"I know" he said simply. She looked up at him their eyes meeting in an embrace.   
  
"Even though I will be his in body, I will always be yours in heart" she whispered. The words choked him up, cause his eyes to turn red.   
  
"If he ever hurts you, I will kill him. I swear!" he whispered fiercely.   
  
"My knight" she whispered. She kissed him again before fleeing the tiny courtyard at the end of the open corridor. He sighed placing his massive helm on his head, and pulling the sword easily out of the ground. It was time to go to war.   
  
_   
  
**

¸.·´¯`·». «·´¯`·.¸

**   
  
  
  
"What the hell was that?" Seifer asked sitting up with a start. Zell stood over him leaning over, with his hands on his knees. Panting blood running down the side of his face, marring the black tattoo.   
  
"I need your help, Seif. Come on get up" Zell said his voice practically at a shout. Seifer propped himself up on his elbows, blinking away the fuzziness of unconsciousness. He turned to see a great monster looming over Zell, it's teeth bared.   
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
A VERY SPECIAL A/N:   
  
Alonia: Hey everyone! This is a very special author's note-   
Seifer: DUH! They all ready read that.   
Alonia: Fine then, *quickly shoves two roses into Seifer's hand and pushes him forward*   
Seifer: I am not going this Al!   
Alonia: Aw Come on, pweeese?   
Seifer: NO WAY!   
Alonia: I can just as easily turn this into a Zelltis.   
Seifer: *rolling eyes* yeah right.   
Alonia: Or how about a Zellfer.   
Seifer: You wouldn't   
Alonia: Try me *evil glint*   
Seifer: Fine fine. *grumbles a bit and then puts on a sweet smile holding out the two roses*   
Alonia: Thats a good boy.   
Seifer: Al wanted me to tell you all that this chapter is dedicated to her very special friends **Ifalna** and **Jacks**, who are both going through shitty times right now. And bleah bleah bleah, feel better soon k? Have some roses.*shoves roses into each of their mailboxes*   
Alonia: Well that wasnt exactly how I put it...   
Seifer: I know, I improvised.   
Alonia: You made it worse!   
Seifer: Worse or better? *evil smirk*   
Alonia: Zellfer it is.   
Seifer: Liar, you love me too much for that. Hey why does his name get to go first!   
Alonia: Hehe ok enough of this, come on Seify. Let's go consort with the muse *waves* Bye everyone!!   
Seifer: *whispering* Please don't let her set me up with Chicken Wuss, Seiftis FOREVER!   



	9. Chase Round

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Nine**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Chase Round **«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
"Fire Cross, No Mercy!" Seifer shouted jumping to his feet. Fire rolled from, his hand slashing the ground. He rose in to the air Hyperion spinning leaving a green after math in its wake. The ground exploded from under the monster sending it tumbling into the air. It landed with a roar and one of its talons snaked out slicing deep into Zell's leg. Zell collapsed the ground red blood splattering on the sand colored stone.   
  
  
  
Seifer found himself without any cure spells.   
  
  
  
"All right, Zelly boy. Time to go" Seifer grabbed Zell by the arm and hoisted him up. He flung Zell's arm around his shoulder. The two men ran from the tomb, the unidentified monster quick on their tales. Seifer hastily shoved Zell through the hole in the door. The ex-knight turned to the monster hand clenching tighter around the gunblade. It hissed at him whipping its great shadowy tail over its head.   
  
"Scan" Seifer said casting the spell easily. Just another thing his Instructor had taught him. Always keep scans spells handy. The monster's name was a Faldanor. It's weakness, ice. Well wasn't that just nice, when Seifer never carried anything but fire spells. Fire magic was his specialty. Thing that surprised him most was it told him that the Faldanor was a native of Dollet. Then what the hell was it doing in Centra? Seifer moved fast evading it next attack before diving through the hole.   
  
Seifer rolled to his feet turning to too at the snapping maw of the Faldanor as it tried to thrust it through the hole. Zell had drug him self to a sitting position against the other door. He had taken off his shirt and tied it tightly around his leg to stop the flow of blood.   
  
"You ok?" Seifer asked.   
  
"Yeah, thanks for not leaving me back there" Zell said gruffly as Seifer helped him to his foot.   
  
"Well it was a one time deal, don't expect it again" Seifer growled helping Zell up to the Ragnarock.   
  
"There should be some potions in the first aid kit, in the back" Zell said. Seifer moved away grumbling, as he left Zell in the pilot's seat. It only took him a moment to find the little white box with the red cross emblazoned across the front. He climbed into the navigator seat.   
  
"Why did you have to park like this?" Seifer grumbled taking great care to open the box as to not spill anything. Zell rolled his eyes and took the small potion bottle from Seifer. He drank the thick liquid down closing his eyes as the cold washed through him.   
  
"Where too next?" Zell asked starting up the Ragnarock.   
  
"Dollet" Seifer answered. Zell nodded as he took flight leaving the tomb behind.   
  
"Hey wasn't there supposed to be all the coins of that kind ever minted in the tomb?" Seifer asked suddenly.   
  
"Yeah" Zell said deadpanning.   
  
"Where the hell were they then!?" Seifer exclaimed hitting the window.   
  
"Why Dollet?" Zell asked suddnely.   
  
"That monster that attacked us back there was from Dollet" Seifer growled.   
  
"Sounds like a plan" Zell said expertly steering the plane towards the coastal town of Dollet.   
  


¸.·´¯`·» . «·´¯`·.¸ 

  
  
When she awoke again she was trapped in a tiny rectangular glass room. Quistis rose from the cot she lay on and stumbled to the center of her glass prison. She swayed looking around blinking. Everything was so bright, and hurting. She rushed suddenly to the wall spotting someone on the other side.   
  
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw who it was.   
  
The woman lay on a tall medical bed completely naked. Wires ran form machines along wall to where they were imbedded in her pale skin. White pads rested on her temples with more red wire running to a machine near by. If weren't for all the wire Ellone Loire looked as if she would have been sleep.   
  
"Sis!" Quistis screamed beating her palm against the thick glass. Panic rose in her, catching her breath in the back of her throat. She slumped against the glass her still ensconced metal hand clanging against it loudly. She sobbed sliding to the ground.   
  


¸.·´¯`·» . «·´¯`·.¸ 

  
  
Seifer walked out of the Monster Shop scowling. It felt as if the scowl was becoming a predominate fixture on his face. Zell was moving impatiently beside him as they strode through the familiar street of Dollet.   
  
"So Timber?" Zell asked kicking a rock lazy that had found its way into the road.   
  
"That's what the guy said. He said that some guy had come through and ordered a bunch of Faldanors" Seifer responded kicking the same rock as it landed in front of his steel decorated boots.   
  
"Since when did these people think that selling monsters was a smart idea?" Zell said toe hitting the rock again.   
  
"When the rich decided the wanted them for pets" Seifer said furiously kicking the rock several paces in front of them.   
  
"Idiots" Zell grumbled. Seifer nodded curtly finding it strange to agree on something with Zell Dinct.   
  
"Well I guess we should stay the night here, then take the Ragnarock to the garden in the morning?" Seifer questioned stopping in front of the towering Dollet Hotel.   
  
"Yeah" Zell said following the ex-knight inside abandoning the abused rock in the middle of the street. 

  
  
¸.·´¯`·» . «·´¯`·.¸ 

  
  
"There's no need to cry" A female voice came floating through the glass. Quistis' head snapped up looking toward the sheet of glass.   
  
A statuesque woman stood on the other side of the Quistis' prison. She wore a flowing sparkling purple dress that draped to the floor. Her black hair curled into ringlets around her face and down her back.   
  
"Who are you? What am I doing here?" Quistis shouted banging her metal encased hand against the glass. It was so heavy, leaving her with throbbing pain up her arm.   
  
"My name is Medarra" she said her rose colored lips turning up into a smile.   
  
"Let me out of here! I have powerful friends, they will come for me!" Quistis shouted. The woman dressed in purple laughed tossing her head back.   
  
"The only two people who knowyour gone, Are on a wild goose chase even as we speak" Medarra said turning and leaving Quistis with only the horrifying state of Ellone to keep her company.   
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Seifer: Yeah yeah I'm back agian. Don't expect this to be a regular thing. Al just wanted me to plug the dumb msg board.   
  
Quistis: It is far from dumb.   
  
Seifer: *snorts* whatever   
  
Quistis: You know it is all about us right?   
  
Seifer: Wha..?   
  
Quistis: Hence the name Seiftis Forever *rolls eyes and smacks Seifer on the back of the head* Seriously Al, I'll just do this alone next time.   
  
Seifer: Hey I was doing good till you came along!   
  
Alonia: Ok you two, knock that off. I'll just finish the plug myself. Please come join the msg board!   
  
http://pub18.ezboard.com/bseiftisforever   
  
Quistis: Yeah Seiftis forever! Cause Hyne knows they are no other accpetable men to pair me with.   
  
Seifer: Yeah, please dont put me with Selphie.. that would be scary..   
  
Alonia: *wicked grin* 


	10. Ocean Blue Descant

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Ten**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Ocean Blue Descant**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
Quistis Trepe couldn't stop staring at her metal encased arm. It just seemed too surreal to her. Her arm throbbed in cold pain beneath the metal. She set her lips in a firm line and decided something at that moment.   
  
The damn thing **had** to come off.   
  
She got up from her position on the floor, and looked around the room. There were only a few things in the tiny glass cell. All the necessities for relieving herself, and the tiny bed. She grinned for a moment, eyeing the bed's metal frame.   
  
She walked over to the bed dragging the mattress off, leaving it discarded on the floor. Metals bars criss-crossed under where the mattress had sat. She grabbed one with her free hand and pulled with all her might. It snapped in half leaving a thin jagged edge. She laid don on the mattress placing her metal encased arm on the matching metal floor.   
  
Quistis ran her free fingers over the seem of the metal cast for a moment trying to clam her heart beat. Then she rammed the small piece of metal bed frame in between the seams pushing the metal apart.   
  
At last it snapped and she could see part of her arm. With more pushing and pulling at last she was free of the metal restraint. She held her arm out horrified at the sight.   
  
Embedded in the center of her hand was a tear dropped shaped ocean blue gem, the skin around it angry red and burning. She held it up through the light looking right though it.   
  
She screamed out, the terror finally overcoming her.   
  
  
  


** ¸.·´¯`·» «·´¯`·.¸ **

  
  
  
  
Seifer awoke the next morning to a pounding on the hotel room door. Zell only slightly stirred in the bed across the room. He was climbing out of bed when the door burst open.   
  
Yellow that bright was never a color you should see first thing in the morning.   
  
It didn't help much that Selphie Tillimut's attitude matched her sunny yellow dress. Rinoa walked in behind her with a smug look on her pale face.   
  
"Good morning boys" Selphie said resting a hand on her hip with a little smile.   
  
"What are you two doing here?" Seifer asked with a growl.   
  
"Well Squall was very upset when you two borrowed the Ragnarock with out permission," Rinoa said.   
  
"Told you" Zell said from him muffled nest of blankets.   
  
"So he sent you two after us?" Seifer growled climbing fully out of the bed.   
  
"Something like that" Rinoa said with a small smile.   
  
"What is it then?" Seifer demanded.   
  
"I am taking over as the leader of your mission. Rinoa is to report back to Squall with full details" Selphie said placing a firm hand on her nunchukus.   
  
"You don't even know what we are doing" Seifer said glaring at the petit girl.   
  
"No we don't exactly, but I'm sure it had something to do with Quistis Trepe's disappearance from Timber" Selphie said. Seifer glanced at Rinoa to see a grimace float across her face.   
  
"She was kidnapped" Seifer said tightly. He told them the whole story the realization that at this rate he would never become SeeD settled over him.   
  
"By who?" Rinoa asked.   
  
"What do you care, You're the one that made her leave in the first place" Seifer snapped at his ex-girlfriend. Rinoa scowled at him and rolled her eyes.   
  
"I'll let you know what Squall has to say," Rinoa said giving Selphie a hug before fleeing the room. Selphie turned to the two boys a smile spreading across her face.   
  
"So we are going to Timber then" Selphie said as more of a statement then a question.   
  
"I'm still on this mission?" Seifer asked raising one blond eyebrow.   
  
"Cid and Squall agreed that having the three most powerful SeeD's on this mission was best" Selphie said giving him a small smile. Seifer smirked at her and shook his head.   
  
"Let's go" Seifer said grabbing his coat off a chair near by.   
  
"Zelly, get outta bed!" Selphie said flopping down on the edge of the mattress. Zell groaned and climbed out of bed dressed only in his bright orange Moomba boxers.   
  
"Cute" Selphie drawled as Seifer rolled his eyes.   
  
"I'll be outside" Seifer growled slamming the door behind him.   
  
  
  
"So I'm piloting. Squall said we can keep the Rag as long as it gets home looking' like new" Selphie explained leading the up the back hatch of the red ship.   
  
Suddenly Seifer fell forward his knees hitting hard on the metal deck as a great heaviness fell upon him.   
  
_(~ YOU MUST FIND HER SOON~) _   
  
Diablos' great voice rolled through his head leaving a deafening silence ad Seifer took a deep breath.   
  
"Where is she" Seifer found himself saying out loud.   
  
_(~Southwest, In a place of great amounts of water~)_   
  
The heaviness left him as quickly as it had descended. He felt Selphie's tiny hands on his temples, and healing magic rushing through his veins.   
  
"Diablos really wanted to get my attention that time" Seifer said shaking his head a bit trying to clear the fog.   
  
"Diablos talks to you?" Zell asked skeptically frowning.   
  
"Isn't that a common thing?" Seifer asked looking at the two high ranking SeeDs.   
  
"No, No GF has ever talked to me," Zell said.   
  
"Me either" Selphie said sliding into the pilots seat. Seifer walked over and flopped down onto one of the bench seats looking across as the puzzled Zell.   
  
"What did he say?" Zell asked.   
  
"That Trepe is to the southwest, some where that there is a lot of water" Seifer said running a hand through his hair.   
  
"The only thing southwest from here... " Zell said dead panning.   
  
"Deep Sea Research Center" Selphie said flicking on the engine. Seifer sighed leaning back. He only hoped that Diablos was right, and that she really was there. The Guardian force had spoken with such urgency. Quistis must really have been in trouble. Seifer stared down at the blue ocean dreading what might be ahead.   
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
So I have a question for everyone.   
  
Should I incorperate other couples into this, and if yes.. Which ones?   
  
Thank you EVERYONE for all your special reviews! I broke 100 YAY!! :) 


	11. Sinking Dirge

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Eleven**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Sinking Dirge**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
There was an eerie silence that surrounded them when they stepped off the Ragnarok onto the broken landing pad of the Deep Sea Research center. Seifer took a deep breath and led the way up the path to the cracked building.   
  
Selphie and Zell talked behind him about their previous adventures here, and finding Bahamut. Seifer only half listened to them, paying more attention to his footing. The place was so quiet, it shook him to the core. The gaping maw of the broken metal doors, beckoned to him. The promised him success, SeeD, and a golden haired Instructor. He took a deep breath shaking off the thoughts of at last becoming SeeD.   
  
He glanced behind him quickly at the bubbly brunette and the energetic blond before stepping into the blackness inside. There was glass all over the floor from a towering light that had been located in the center of the room. A circular staircase sat in the center of what was once a light, leading down into the depths.   
  
"There are quiet a few levels below" Zell said walking up behind him. Seifer glanced over his shoulder and nodded in response. He had a bad feeling about this.   
  
They headed down the rickety staircase onto the first level. Water moved around them, a bright school of fish passing by. Selphie clomped over to the window and pressed her hands against the cold glass staring into the awe-inspiring ocean scene. Zell walked over and began to tinker with some equipment near by, trying to get the hatch to lead them into the lower level open.   
  
Selphie turned and looked at Seifer, inspecting his creased brow. He was worried, he tried to hide it of course. But Selphie was beginning to see through his hard façade. Seifer had proved himself to her the day he had saved the Cadets life on his SeeD exam.   
  
"You'll make a great SeeD, Seifer" she whispered under her breath so Zell couldn't hear her. Seifer looked at her slowly, lips tightening at her words.   
  
"I wasn't only thinking of myself. I just hope we can get Trepe outta here" Seifer responded to her his voice a fierce whisper. Selphie couldn't help but have a small smile. Even as children Seifer had always had a chivalrous side. It always came from reading those dime store novels, and watching movies of sorceress knights. Selphie cringed at the thought, he had failed at his one dream.   
  
She sighed out loud, matching the tone of the grinding gears as the door opened to below. As usual Selphie always wanted to make people happy, and when she couldn't it brought her down just a little. Everyone deserved a little sunshine in his or her life. All Seifer had ever wanted to be was a Knight, there was no chance of that since Rinoa was the last sorceress. Selphie shook her head and followed the two boys onto the level.   
  
  
  
At last the three of them reached the bottom of the deep sea research center. Cool white stone surrounded them as they followed its weaving path. It eventually led them to a platform, where the remnants of a great battle lay.   
  
"This is where we fought the Ultimate Weapon" Selphie said with a tiny smile. Zell nodded in agreement and began to search around the area Seifer kicked a rock out of his way and started across the marble whiteness searching for any clue at all.   
  
"Over here!" Zell yelled suddenly pulling up a great trap door in the marble. Seifer rushed over trench coat flaps fluttering around his legs. Selphie beat him there peering down yet another circular stairway.   
  
"Lead the way, Selph" Zell said giving Seifer a look. The spunky girl nodded and led the way down to huge stairway. It ended in a long metal corridor with a metal door at the end.   
  
The door was very plain, rivets around the outside of it. A green light blinked over it, casting a strange shadow across the three of them.   
  
"No handle" Selphie said frowning.   
  
"Watch out" Seifer said, Selphie obediently moved aside making way for Seifer's black Hyperion. Magic roiled down they blade as he pulled the trigger. The gunblade magic burst the door inward lying it flat. An alarm sounded a great ringing echoing through the hall.   
  
Suddenly monsters were all around them, cutting and slashing at them with their talons. Gunblade, Gloves, and Nunchuku worked as one fending them off. Seifer pushed into the mob of them spilling into the door. Still fighting them off he tried to look around the room.   
  
One side was encased by glass, two cells split by a metal wall. Across the way was multiple machines, and another door. Zell arrived beside him kicking at a monster about to jump onto his back.   
  
"There's way too many, we gotta get out of here" Selphie said on the other side of him flailing out with her Strange Vision.   
  
"We are not leaving with out Quistis" Seifer said steadfastly. Selphie nodded from beside him and pushed him towards the glass cells leaving her and Zell to fend off the monsters. Seifer peered into the glass seeing a very familiar looking brown haired woman attached to wire and machines all around her.   
  
"Ellone" Seifer gasped slamming his fist into the glass, sending a splintering crack across it. It splintered open allowing access inside. He rushed in and to Ellone's tableside.   
  
She was so pale, and so very naked. He shuddered as he ripped the cords from her arms, and the tiny pads from her temples. Her eyes shot open and she took a shuddering breath.   
  
"Here" Seifer said pulling his trench coat off and laying it over her. She tried to sit up, gasping for air. Seifer rushed out into the main room.   
  
"Zell, get Ellone out of here!!" Seifer shouted rushing to the next cell. Zell looked up from his fighting and leapt across the room leaving Selphie alone.   
  
The next cell contained a distraught Quistis banging on the glass. Seifer couldn't help but smile at seeing her. At last they had found her. Seifer motioned for her to step back slicing into the glass with his gunblade. Glass splintered sending a shower of tinkling light around them. Quistis tumbled forward into his arms. He paused a moment allowing her to get her footing.   
  
"This will stop" a deep rich voice echoed over the room. Seifer turned to look at a statuesque woman in a purple dress stride into the room. He heard Quistis' heavy breathing behind him as all combat in the room stopped. Selphie stopped in mad attack, Zell a few steps from the glass cell with Ellone in his arms was paused in mid step.   
  
"We are leaving now. And you aren't going to stop us" Seifer said a smirk spreading across his face. The woman laughed tossing her head back sending curls bouncing around her shoulders. Seifer silently exchanged a look with Zell, nodding his head slowly.   
  
Seifer rushed forward lashing out with his gunblade as suddenly everyone behind him leapt into to action heading for the door. The woman in purple smiled at him and raised her hand instantly casting a shimmering wall around her.   
  
"Your friends may get away, but you will not" she growled reaching out for him with her long lacquered black fingernails. He lurched amazed as fire blazed across his arm. She laughed again and grabbed his gunblade with her bare hand.   
  
The woman in purple lurched back, with a hiss staring at his gunblade. She looked up her depthless pools staring into his eyes searching.   
  
"It's you" she whispered taking a step back her face registering sock. Seifer frowned and took that opportunity to release a deadly spell.   
  
"Quake" he whispered running from her. The building began to shake around him, its stability minimal from the rumbling ocean floor. He ran leaving her and her terrible prison behind him.   
  
The building shook windows rattled, his feet pounding on the metal stair. Heart pounding hear in his chest, he kept moving. At last he broke free of the sinking building the Ragnarok hovering before him.   
  
"Seifer" Selphie screaming reaching out for him. He glanced behind him watching the water spray up through the door of the building. He jumped fingers curling around the open hatch of the flying ship.   
  
Whoever was flying pulled away as the building of massive rock was sucked under the water with a loud sound. He pulled himself unto the ship, and looked down at the swirling maelstrom below.   
  
"We got away!" Selphie exclaimed throwing her arms around Seifer.   
  
"They let us go" Seifer growled shoving her off of him. She frowned and shook her head marching away into the Ragnarok. Seifer stood there alone with a very silent sick looking Quistis.   
  
"Who was she?" Seifer asked Quistis turning to look at her.   
  
"She said her name was Medarra. I have a feeling we haven't heard the last of her" Quistis said. Seifer nodded, trying hard to remember if he had met her before. She looked familiar, lost in a sea of faces he had known over his lifetime   
  
"You okay?" he asked frowning at her. Quistis nodded and then swayed a bit, before she fell forward into his arms for the second time that day.   
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
A/N: Omg. Sorry it took me so long to update this. I had a tiny bit of writer's block. Along with school and some personal things I havent had a lot of time for you all. I am very sorry and an trying to update more often. Forgive me, please? 


	12. Homecoming March

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Twelve**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Homecoming March**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
Why? Why was this happening to him of all times? Why did he now have to start worrying about Quistis being hurt.   
  
It had never bothered him before. Actually he hardly thought about her before now. Maybe it was the guilt eating away at him, one of the few things he had felt guilty for.   
  
If he had moved faster maybe she wouldn't have been taken away. If he could have stopped that creature from carrying her off she wouldn't be laying half dead in front of him.   
  
Selphie knelt beside the bed that Quistis lay in. Selphie tiny, long fingered hands were cupped around Quistis'. Nothing could break Selphie's concentration as she murmured the words of a healing spell, the magic flowing from her hands. The blue gem imbedded in Quistis' hand sparkled, almost seeming to have a life of its own with in the flesh prison of her hand.   
  
Quistis looked so peaceful while she was unconscious. Her eye shut, face relaxed a tiny smile on her lips. Seifer thought she could almost be attractive, instead of the raving blond bitch he had always known. Of course she had nothin' bitch-wise on Rinoa, and that chocolate haired girl had been his first love.   
  
How naive of him.   
  
Seifer sighed as Zell carried Ellone into the room who was still wrapped in his gray trench coat, the red Hyperion crosses looking strange on her. A corner of his lip turned up slightly, almost a smile. He had always imagined a woman in his coat and nothing else. Too bad now that it had finally happened it was someone he thought of as a sister.   
  
The one with the blond gravity-defying hair looked as solemn as Seifer had ever seen him. It was strange to see Zell Dinct be quiet about anything. Obviously he was worried about both Ellone, and Quistis. The plane was on auto-pilot giving the three conscious people time to try and heal the two women. Seifer felt useless in this department, he was a soldier. A mercenary, not a healer. Luckily they had one of the best SeeD's ever for the healing arts. Selphie's power and accuracy was amazing.   
  
He had every faith that the two women would be all right. Seifer did take a minute thought to imagine the conniption fits that Squall would go into if he brought them both back dead. He frowned shoving those thoughts aside. He would never wish death on the two women that had been his older sisters when growing up.   
  
Zell sat down next to Seifer, and buried his head in hands with a sigh.   
  
"They'll be all right" Seifer said. That was the words of consolation he could give. Everyone knew he wasn't a nice guy. It was so hard to try and be nice, when everyone was so annoying.   
  
Selphie stood up slowly running a hand across her other arm for a few moments before walking over to Ellone. Tears dripped silently from Selphie's normally sparkling green eyes. Selphie knelt beside Ellone and began to work her magic.   
  
"At least we got the weirdo" Zell said leaning back against the wall. He folded his arms across his chest.   
  
"She let us go" Seifer responded.   
  
"What do you mean?" Zell demanded glaring at the blond man.   
  
"That woman could have killed us all down there, she let us go for some reason" Seifer said.   
  
"What reason?" Zell asked looking back up at the ceiling of the ship. Selphie stood up with a shake and smiled over at the two of them, her skin very pale.   
  
"I'm going to go lay down, they should be fine till we are home" She said nodding her head at the two men before flitting off into one of the back rooms.   
  
"Whatever that woman did to them, was all she wanted to do. Somehow she knew we would rescue them" Seifer said shaking his head and standing up. Zell growled and rammed his gloved hand into the side of the metal ship.   
  
"How much longer till Balamb?" Seifer asked staring out one of the windows at the landscape zooming by.   
  
"A few hours" Zell replied.   
  
"Great, and when we arrive this mission will get handed over to Squall. Typical" Seifer said storming off leaving Zell too watch over the two women.   
  
He stormed bast Selphie who was lying on the tiny bridge humming quietly to herself. Seifer headed down to the hull hand tightly curled around his gunblade. Why was it that he could never live up to Squall. Never would he achieve the great things that his rival always had.   
  
"Seifer" Selphie said sleepily from behind him. He spun around to looked at her, attempting to keep his anger in check.   
  
"What?" he answered his voice tight.   
  
"You need anything?" she asked frowning.   
  
"A new life" a growled under his breath while shaking his head no. Selphie only frowned and nodded at him before leaving him alone in the room. There he stayed alone, for the rest of the flight. Steaming, he tried to shove his anger aside when Selphie called him up to the bridge.   
  
She was expertly landing the plane by the time he got there. Zell was all ready hoisting Ellone into his arms, leaving Quistis for Seifer. He sighed and lifted the light woman into his arms. She murmured a lifting and buried her face in his chest. He snickered a bit and shook his head at the irony of the situation. The back hatch was opening, and Zell was leading the way out before he knew it.   
  
A crowd of SeeD and cadets had all ready gathered at the main gate to watch them as they arrived. People where cheering and excited. No one had had idea what had happened, but still they cheered. Seifer pushed his way through the crowds and into the Infirmary. Dr.Kowdaski waited there for them with two beds all ready to go. Seifer lay Quistis down and then looked up at the two other people in the room. Cid and Squall.   
  
"Congratulations on becoming a SeeD, Mr. Almasy" Cid said with a slight smile.   
  
"Permission to return to my quarters, sir?" Seifer asked saluting the headmaster in a customary fashion.   
  
"Rest up, your mission debriefing will be tonight after dinner" Cid said raising his eyebrows as Zell walked in with Ellone. Seifer didn't stay to see the drama that happened next. He preferred to distance himself from emotion as much as possible.   
  
He walked along the halls of the Garden feeling no different now, being a SeeD, then he had before. What was he thinking that suddenly he would be a better person once he became a Seed? Not likely, he would always be branded a traitor. He stepped into his ever-familiar dorm room and started to wait.   
  
  
  
Much later he found himself sitting around a large oak table, with a strange menagerie of people. Selphie and Zell flanked him on one side of the table. Cid, Edea, Squall, and Rinoa sat across from them on the other side of the table. Selphie being the commander of the mission was giving them the breakdown of things that had happened. Through the whole meeting Seifer did not speak, he simply watched and waited.   
  
"I do agree that this needs farther investigation" Cid said at last when Selphie was done.   
  
"Thank you, sir" Selphie said.   
  
"You of course will remain Squad leader, your new team will be Zell Dinct and Irvine Kinneas" Cid said. Seifer felt his heart lurch. Of course they stole away his mission, they had stolen away everything else.   
  
"Excuse me sir, but I would like to request that Seifer Almasy continue on with this mission" Selphie said strongly.   
  
"What?" Cid said a little dumbfounded. He wasn't the only one, Seifer was staring up at Selphie in shock.   
  
"He was extremely helpful in the rescue sir, he is part of this team" Selphie said. Then the to ultimate amazement of everyone at the table Zell stood up, both ands resting on the table.   
  
"I agree" Zell said firmly. Looking across the table at the four shocked faces made Seifer want to laugh at loud. At least he had done something right, and was gaining recognition for it.   
  
"All right" Cid said slowly "I will allow Seifer to stay on the mission"   
  
"Thank you, Sir" Selphie said with a curt nod.   
  
"Now I suggest you start your investigation first thing tomorrow" Cid said standing up. They all left the room, splitting their separate ways to get some rest.   
  
Seifer lay down that night and stared at the ceiling for a few moments, still slightly amazed by today's happening. Eventually he fell into a deep sleep, where again he dreamed.   
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Hey everyone, Well what did you think? I thought it was a little dull this chapy, but ya know filled with insightful info ;)   
I am trying VERY hard to stay in character with Seifer, I hope that I am doing okay. Thanlks for staying with me even though it takes so long to update, now please review.   
  
Oh almost forgot, I wanted to give special shout out to all the people on the msg board! I love you all!!!!! :)   
  


**SEIFTIS FOREVER!**   
http://pub18.ezboard.com/bseiftisforever 


	13. Broken Heart Strings

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Thirteen**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Broken Heart Strings**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
_ He stood at the back of the room, encased in thick heavy metal armor. It was almost suffocating the black mass of steel. He felt alone, trapped within a gilded cage made of an unbreakable substance. Love, the one thing he had wanted and dared to hope for his whole life. At last when he had found it, it was stolen away as quick as a blink. All though at this moment he was not alone, far from it actually.   
  
The chapel was brimming with people, filling every pew. All dressed in brightly colored cloths, people had smiled plastered across their faces. It was an occasion that no upstanding noble would miss. It wasn't everyday that the only daughter of the king married.   
  
The husband to be stood in front of the alter, tall and proud. He was swathed in the finest red clothing, the velvet dripping down his broad chest. Red was a color that fit him well. The groom was breathing deeply, trying to calm his nerves until the beautiful bride arrived.   
  
The room hushed as the back doors open, and the bridal march began. She was beautiful, tucked behind a veil of thin white lace. Her dress draped around her leading into a long trailing train in the back. She took a few steps, movements as graceful as an angel. She paused for a moment, stopped in mid-breath. Her head turned slightly and her glimmering blue orbs locked with his. The room stopped at that moment, the world spinning around the two lovers. It was a good-bye, a silent testament to the secret love they had always shared.   
  
Then she turned her body stiffening up, her shoulders thrown back in a strange determination. She never glanced back, her eyes as rigid as her frame. Her eyes were trained forward on her groom, the man she was being forced to marry.   
  
The heels of her shoes clacked across the stone floor as she walked up the isle. It seemed to take an eternity, her movements in slow motion. But at last she did reach her destination. When she did, she permitted the groom a smile of fake joy. This made him glow with pride, and love.   
  
His heart was breaking through the whole ceremony, each one of her words putting in another dent. Each touch of their hands a knife cut. The kiss was the final blow, the final jab to destroy his faith in love forever.   
  
With wounds no one could see he rushed from the chapel, clutching his chest. He could almost feel the warm blood run between his fingertips. She would be the death of him, love was never supposed to hurt this much. _   
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·».«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
  
  
  


Seifer awoke with a start, pain erupting through his chest. He had been there, seen it all. He had felt it all, he had just had his heart broken. He scoffed and shook his head. Imagine that Seifer Almasy's heart broken.   
  
He climbed out of bed and stretched in the morning sun. The strangeness of the dream lingered upon him as he headed into the shower. The warm water was just what he needed to shake of the grogginess, and get ready for the day.   
  
A day researching with little miss cheerfulness, and her sidekick the incredible chicken-wuss. It was so hard not to think negatively about them. Seifer did try though, after all they had stuck up for him. They had gotten him the spot on the mission. He sighed and shook his head, irritated at the fact that he owed his first real mission to Selphie and Zell.   
  
Not to mention Quistis. He owed everything to her. Her for leaving behind the GF that eventually directed them to her. In short, she made him SeeD.   
  
He groaned shaking off that thought as he slid on his trench coat. He left his dorm room and started to make his usual stride down the hallway to the cafeteria. He got his usual breakfast, and sat as his usual table alone.   
  
Eating alone never bothered him. But it was strange when Selphie came over plopped down at his table right in front of him.   
  
"So, you read to hit the books today?" she asked turning the sugar container upside down over her coffee cup.   
  
"Would you like some coffee with your sugar?" Seifer asked smirking a bit. She giggled and set the heavy glass container back down on the table.   
  
"It was so nice of Sir Laguna to allow us to use the Esthar Library vaults" she said taking a swig off the sugar-mutilated coffee.   
  
"Yeah, How did you get him to?" Seifer asked quirking an eyebrow as he watched Squall walk in with Rinoa on his arm. They sat down at their usual table with Irvine, and Zell. Selphie glanced over her shoulder at them and smiled.   
  
"Being the president of his fan club has its advantages" Selphie said looking back to Seifer pulling another drink from the ceramic cup. Seifer laughed a bit and shook his head about to launch into another question when he stopped.   
  
Quistis was standing in the double doors of the cafeteria, dressed in her usual pink battle gear.   
  
Maybe mentally she was preparing for a battle as she walked across the room. She rolled her shoulders back and strode into the room, right over to the table where she had sat every morning for her career as an Instructor. Rinoa glared at her from her seat next to Squall, her grip tightening around her boyfriend's arm. "Commander Liomheart, I officially resign my position as Seed. Here is my ID badge" she said tossing the flimsy piece of plastic onto the table in front of the speechless Squall. In fact the whole cafeteria was silent, as Quistis turned on her heel.   
  
She marched right over to Selphie and Seifer's table. She pulled out a chair and primly sat down, crossing her legs. The noise exploded through out the cafeteria as talking began. Seifer leaned back in his chair, propping his legs up on the table and clapped a bit. Selphie leaned over and patted Quistis on the knee with a reassuring smile.   
  
"I need to hire SeeD" Quistis said shocking them both a bit.   
  
"Perhaps we should take this somewhere else" Seifer said looking over Selphie's shoulder at Rinoa. Quistis nodded and the three of them left the cafeteria. Selphie half full sugary coffee cup was abandoned on the table forgotten.   
  
They went to the training area, quickly making their way to the secret area. There was silence for a few moments as Quistis lifted her hand up to the sun. It light the blue gem imbedded with in with a fire of its own. Blue prisms sparkled across her place face.   
  
"I want to hire SeeD to find out why this gem was put in my hand. Why me, and why was Ellone there with me" Quistis said.   
  
"But we are all ready working on that" Selphie said.   
  
"This way I'll be included in the investigation" Quistis said sighing. Selphie nodded and jumped up and down a bit.   
  
"I'll go talk to Cid right away, wait here I'll be back with his answer" Selphie bounced from the secret area leaving the two of them together.   
  
There was silence between the two of them for minutes, each wrapped up in their own thoughts.   
  
"Thank you" she said at last.   
  
"For what?" he asked frowning a bit.   
  
"For coming to my rescue" she whispered running her fingers over the glittering gem.   
  
"You made me SeeD, you know" he said reaching out slowly to touch the gem. She nodded as his fingers brushed the hard object, also grazing her skin.   
  
"You did it by yourself, I was just the object" she said pulling her hand away abruptly.   
  
"The object of my kidnapping, I still owe you for that headbutt" he said with smirk.   
  
"And what do you plan to do about it, you know I could take you": she said grinning back at him.   
  
"Oh do you wanna find out?" he asked hand resting on his Hyperion. She sighed and shook her head.   
  
"I'm not a SeeD anymore, remember? I'm a politician now"   
  
"A damn good one I bet" he said managing to give a seriously compliment. She sighed and shook her head taking a few steps away from him. Suddenly her whole attitude was hesitant.   
  
"I'm going to go up and see Cid with Selphie. Catch you later Seifer" she said her voice holding a touch of sadness. He watched her leave torn at her sudden change in attitude.   
  
He eventually shrugged it off, Seifer Almasy didn't care about other people.   
  
Or did he?   
  
  
  


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A/N: I feel really good about the first part of this chapy, so angsty. I dont feel that great about the SeiferxQuistis interaction. I have to work on that.   
  
I wanted to say thank you to all of you who read and review this story all the time. Thank you so much, you know who you are.   
  
P.s. Please feel free to check out the Seiftis msg board, we are starting a contest please come join. http://pub18.ezboard.com/bseiftisforever 


	14. Nostalgic Harmony

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Fourteen**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Nostalgic Harmony**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
The city of Esthar shined below them in all its mechanical glory. Glass buildings towered above the populated moving highways. People looked liked ants moving along with their daily business dressed in the bright colors that made everything in Esthar.   
  
It hadn't taken them long to convince Squall and Cid to allow the to borrow the Ragnarok for their mission. It also hadn't taken long to convince Cid to allow Quistis to hire then on as her employees. He wasn't happy that she had chosen to join them on the research mission, but it was well within her rights. It even said so in her contract, which Quistis was more then happy to point out to the headmaster and the commander.   
  
Seifer shook his head at the irony of working for his former Instructor. She sat in the seat across from him next to Ellone, who was hitching a ride back to Esthar to be with Laguna.   
  
"Hey Quistis," Ellone spoke up suddenly.   
  
"Yeah?" Quistis asked looking at the older woman.   
  
"Why did you decide to quit SeeD" Ellone asked an unexpected question and Quistis balked a bit. Seifer perked his ears up awaiting her answer.   
  
"It just wasn't me anymore, I am a different person now. No longer a mercenary" Quistis said softly looking down at the glowing blue gem in her hand. Ellone nodded sage-like as the plane lurched a bit announcing their landing.   
  
"Another perfect landing Selphie!" Zell said climbing from the navigator seat.   
  
"Thanks Zell" Selphie responded making her way past them to open the back hatch allowing them access into the Esthar airport.   
  
President Laguna was waiting for them at the end of the ramp with his two advisors Ward and Kiros.   
  
"Welcome to Esthar" Laguna said to them all flashing a smile at Ellone.   
  
"Uncle Laguna" she said dropping her green scarf as she gave him a hug. Zell best over and handed it back to her as she pulled away from Laguna.   
  
"I was afraid I was going to have to come look for you again" Laguna said.   
  
"I'm fine" she insisted smiling over her shoulder at Zell. "I am even going to help them research!"   
  
"Why don't you start by showing them to guestrooms, They can start their research in the morning" Laguna said as the all walked out of the airport onto the busy walkways of Esthar.   
  
"Thank you, I'll do that Uncle" Ellone said. They followed her unto a hover seat and were whizzed into the huge building that was the presidential palace. The walk to the guestrooms was short, since they were located on the first floor. Ellone through open a door and revealed a hallway with doors running down each side.   
  
"The hallway is all yours, you can pick you rooms" she said.   
  
"Thanks Elle!" Zell exclaimed as she left them there. Seifer glanced around and walked through the first door on the left shutting out the excited exclamations of Zell and Selphie as they went though each room. Seifer didn't care what his room looked like as long as there was a bed.   
  
He finally got the good night rest he needed, he was not looking forward to a day of research tomorrow.   
  
  
  


¸.·´¯`·» ¸.·´¯`·» ¸.·´¯`·» ¸.·´¯`·».«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸ 

  
  
  
  
It was a typical Seifer Almasy pose. Sitting in a high-backed chair his long legs stretched out in front of him. Silver decorated boots resting on the highly polished oaken table. The chair resting on two legs. A large book was propped up in his lap, which he was looking at intently.   
  
"I wish you would have studied that hard in my class" Her voice cut through his thoughts like firaga through ice cream. His green eyes glared up at her, a smirk slowly spreading across his chiseled features.   
  
"I didn't have to study for that class, I all ready knew it all" He retorted with the usual cockiness.   
  
"Then why didn't you pass?" she asked. He frowned a bit, but the smirk never left his face. As always he was ready with a witty remark.   
  
"Quistis, you look like shit" he said his white teeth gleaming. She peered over the edge of his book spotting the glossy pages of a Weapons Monthly Magazine.   
  
"Ah I see today you are truly studding as hard as you usually do" she said pulling the magazine expertly from the book.   
  
"Hey!" he exclaimed trying to grab it from her. She laughed dancing a step backward and stuck her tongue out at him. He leaned over more to reach for the magazine more. Then in a blink of his eye, she had drawn her Save the Queen. Before he could react it was wrapped around one of the one of the two legs supporting the chair. The he was toppling to the floor, book spilling from his hand.   
  
Her musical laughter filled his ears as he stood up ever so slowly.   
  
The suddenly he was upon her and they were cascading to the floor, her whip skittering out of her hand. He lay on top of her chuckling slightly, the sound mixing nicely with her laughter. It gave him a nostalgic feeling of time when things were less complicated.   
  
Seifer stood up suddenly, and reached down with a gloved hand to help her up. Quistis gracefully accepted his hand and was brought to her feet. He leaned over and picked up her whip holding it out to her. She took it and sheepishly held out his magazine, finger still marking his place. Taking it he quickly folded a page back before rolling it up and tucking it inside the inner pocket of his trench coat.   
  
"Sorry about that" she said with a smile.   
  
"No offense Quis, but I wasn't kidding. You really do look like shit" Seifer said returning to his chair. She sighed and moved to the other side of the table and plopped down in a chair. She sat there limp her arms draping down towards the floor.   
  
"I've been having the strangest dreams" she said softly. He leaned over the table peering into her cloudy blue eyes.   
  
"Dreams" he whispered his deep voice echoing across the rows and rows of books in the Esthar library. "What kind of dreams?"   
  
"Forget about it" she said with a sigh and a limp wave of one hand.   
  
"I will not forget about it, Trepe. What kind of dreams" he said as he reached out and grabbed her thin wrist, hardness settling through his voice.   
  
"Forget I even said anything!" she exclaimed her eyebrows furrowing together as she squirmed her wrist a bit in his grip.   
  
"Tell me" he said his eyes growing dark, voice cold. His grip tightened, to the point of where it hurt. Then in her second surprising move of the day her open hand slammed into the side of his face.   
  
"Leave me alone!" Quistis exclaimed wringing her wrist from his grasp as he was surprised. She ran from the library, her clip wrestling its way free of her hair and skittering across the floor.   
  
"Quistis" he called after her standing up. He leaned over and picked up the clip, deciding to run after her. He ran though the hallways of the Esther presidential building, trying to follow the sound of her footsteps.   
  
Eventually he found her, after bursting through a set of double glass doors. She stood on a balcony, the wind blowing her hair wildly around her. Her back was to him, hands curled into fists which were resting on the railing.   
  
He walked up and stood next to her silently. They stood there for a few moments, like statues only the wind moving. Suddenly he moved his hand to the railing and set her clip there, with a tiny clink.   
  
"Thought you might want this back" he said in his usual deep voice before turning to leave.   
  
"Is that all then?" she asked moments before he reached the door. He stopped hands clenched into fists.   
  
"Yes" _...No_   
  
_(~NO~) _   
  
The heaviness was deafening as it matched his own thoughts. Diablos' single thought left his ears ringing. His mind reeled as he found himself turning around to watch his former Instructor swiftly clip her hair back up into place.   
  
"No, that's not all" he said suddenly. She looked over her shoulder at him raising her blond eyebrows. What was he doing? Had he changed so much that he was ready to apologize?   
  
"I'm sorry" he said closing his eyes for a moment and letting out a deep breath. She half turned to look at him.   
  
"Did it hurt? I know it does sometimes the first time" Quistis said flashing him a small smile. He shot back one of his rare genuine smiles.   
  
"I deserved the slap too, I hope I didn't hurt you" he said trying to ignore her remark.   
  
"I'm fine, but thank you for asking" she said looking genuinely confused by his niceness.   
  
"The reason I got so upset was, I've been having strange dreams too" he said. Seifer walked over and leaned on the rail next to her. They both stared out into the blue sky above the glittering city.   
  
"About a man and a woman in love" Quistis said her voice trailing off.   
  
"A love that can never happen" he finished her sentence for her their eyes clicking both registering shock. It wasn't possible that they were having the same dreams was it?   
  
"I --I mean she had to marry another man" Quistis said.   
  
"You dream you are the woman?" he asked. She nodded silently. Seifer stood up straight running a hand through his blond hair.   
  
"Why are we both..." Quistis' voice trailed off as the doors behind them slammed open. Zell and Selphie bounded onto the balcony smiles spread across their faces.   
  
"We've been looking for the both of you everywhere!" Selphie exclaimed.   
  
"Looks like you've found us" Seifer responded folding his arms across his chest eyeing them both.   
  
"You guys find anything?" Zell asked.   
  
"I'm sure Seifer can tell you all about the latest upgrade for any weapon this month" Quistis said grinning slyly at him.   
  
"Awww man! You mean you were looking at the new Weapons Monthly while I was reading that stupid book?" Zell asked rubbing at the back of his neck. Seifer only shot him a smirk in response.   
  
"Well I think I've found something" Selphie said shaking her head and smiling a bit.   
  
"Let's see it" Quistis said following her back inside.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N:~ Sorry if this chapy was too long! But I was on a roll! I had to make up for the not so great Seiftisness last chapter.   
  
I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have been sticking with me through this, I am so glad you like it! I hope you will keep reading! 


	15. Resonance of Discovery

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Fifteen**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Resonance of Discovery**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
Seifer was the last to walk into the east wing of the library. Everyone else was all ready gathered around a huge tomb lying open on a table. Ellone was sitting in front of a chair in front of it. Seifer stood next to Quistis looking over her shoulder at the yellowing pages.   
  
There was a very realistic picture of a hand with a deep blue colored gem imbedded in it.   
  
"Wow" Quistis said sitting down and pulling the book in front of her. Her eyes skimmed the lines of the page widening as she read.   
  
"Well?" Seifer said. She glanced up and him and nodded slightly before looking back down at the book.   
  
"It says that back in the days of Centra, all people who could use blue magic were sorceress," She said nodding her head.   
  
"You're a sorceress, Quisty?" Ellone said raising her eyebrows.   
  
"That's what is says. Before their twentieth birthday all blue sorceresses were fused with a blue jewel. One reaching their full potential, it helps magnetize their powers" Quistis read out loud as everyone's gaze in the room trailed to the gem in her hand.   
  
"Quis, what blue magic don't you have?" Zell asked shaking his head.   
  
"There is only one, and I think it's all ready too late to get it" Quistis said.   
  
"What casts it?" Seifer said softly.   
  
"Greiver" she responded in a very quiet voice.   
  
"Shockwave Pulsar" Zell said shortly after, Selphie nodded in agreement. They all look down fallen, their eyes cast to the floor.   
  
"We still don't know why she put it in you" Seifer said brining all their attention back to the situation at hand.   
  
"There must be another way that you can gain Shockwave Pulsar" Ellone spoke up from her spot in the huge chair.   
  
"Let's hit the books," Selphie said pumping her fist into the air.   
  
"More books?" Zell groaned visibly drooping. Then he turned and walked amongst the shelves grumbling to himself.   
  
"I'll continue looking for stuff on this Queen Medarra" Seifer said heading back to the other side of the library where he had left his stack of books. Quistis pulled the book with the diagram of the hand into her lap and started heavily reading the pages.   
  
  
  
  
  
It was hours later when he heard Zell shouted happily, his voice carrying over the library. Seifer stood up and walked into the section where they were all gathered.   
  
Zell was shadowboxing happily a book laid open in front of him on the table.   
  
"Zell found your Shockwave pulsar, Quistis" Ellone said happily. Quistis stood up and smiled looking across the room to meet Seifer's eyes. He smirked at her and nodded his head slightly.   
  
"Well where is it Zell?" Quistis asked excitedly.   
  
"Deep with in the snowy mountains of Trabia, there lies a hidden valley. Within lies Grevier's birthplace, the alter that made a mortal man the strongest GF ever" Zell said half reading from the book. Quistis eyes lit up in understanding. They had all seen her do it a million times. Hold an object in her hand and absorb its power in a shower of blue sparks.   
  
The altar was the key to her final blue magic spell.   
  
"Let's get going to Trabia then!" Selphie exclaimed excited about the prospect of visiting her home. Quistis nodded taking the book and tucking it under her arm.   
  
"Is it all right if I accompany you all, I get dreadfully bored of Esthar" Ellone said softly.   
  
"Of course you can come, Ell!" Zell exclaimed grinning at her. Seifer rolled his eyes at the goofy look on Zell's face.   
  
"Let's move then," Seifer said turning and striding out of the library with a purpose.   
  
  
  
  
  
A few hours later with great speed and efficiency there were flying over the crystal blue ocean towards Trabia. Seifer was sitting in the conference room staring out the window blandly. The only other person in the room was Quistis who was sitting across the isle way her nose buried in the book from earlier.   
  
She was frowning as if she had come to some barrier in her thoughts.   
  
"What's the problem?" Seifer asked suddenly.   
  
"It says I must approach the altar in my natural state, the same as I came into this world" Quistis said. Seifer laughed shaking his head, then smirked widely at her.   
  
"You're gonna have to get naked" Seifer said. Quistis groaned and rolled her eyes.   
  
"Hey guys" Zell's voice squawked over the intercom, "I think we found your valley"   
  
Quistis hopped up leaving the book on the chair; Seifer was shortly behind her. They reached the bridge all ready seeing the pure greenness of a thousand pine trees spanning below them dead in the middle of the Trabia Mountains. In the very center of it all was a lake, with an island in the middle.   
  
"Put us down right there, and we'll walk in" Seifer told Selphie. The brunette smiled and easily landed the ship on the snow.   
  
"I hate the cold" Zell grumbled as they all walked out the back hatch and onto the snowy ground. Then a snowball plowed into the side of Zell's head, and Seifer couldn't resist a chuckle. Ellone ducked quickly behind Seifer using the mush larger man for a shield.   
  
"Nice aim" Seifer said to her smirking. Zell scowled and then followed Quistis into the trees. Intent on her task the former instructor didn't even stop to enjoy the scenery. At the break neck pace she was setting they reached the lake quickly.   
  
Quistis was tense, as she ran her fingers along the unfrozen water.   
  
"It's warm!" she exclaimed straightening up. She turned and looked at all of them and frowned.   
  
"I have to do this alone, Please don't follow me," Quistis said softly. Seifer nodded firmly prepared to physically hold the others away if necessary.   
  
"Everyone, turn around and don't look" Seifer commanded before Quistis could continue. She gave him a relieved look and nodded slightly. Seifer turned as well, listening to the sounds of zippers and buckles. He shook his head a little surprised to find he as actually worried about her. This new caring thing was strange to him.   
  
Then there was a slash of water and a few moments later he glanced over his shoulder. She was submerged only her blond head visible and each arm as it made a strong stroke. Seifer looked out across the water at the island and sighed.   
  
She was weaponless, and alone. Seifer was very afraid he had just sent Quistis Trepe to her death.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: YAY NEW CHAPY!! I hope you guys liked, I didn't want it to move too fast.. But the fic needed a jump in the right direction :) 


	16. Obbligato

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Sixteen**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Obbligato**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
The water was warm around her caressing her bare skin like a lovers touch. The moon made it look like a sheet of silver, she the only ripple that marred the surface. Emerging from the water the cold air sent goose bumps rising along her skin.   
  
The island was covered with soft moss, paving the way towards a gaping maw of a cave. It was tucked into an up rise virtually invisible unless you were close. Veins of glowing blue rock lined the walls leading the way down the stairs that had been carved in the stone.   
  
Quistis shivered a bit as her feet first touched the cold stone. She shrugged it off and headed down into the depths. The stairway wound down for a long time, into the earth. It ended in a gigantic cavernous room, the only light glowing softly at the base of the stairs. More blue stone.   
  
She leaned down and scooped some of the loose stone into her hand. It cast a pale blueness over her skin, setting the gem afire with a light of it's own. She walked further into the dark cave. Her steps were small and hesitant.   
  
She was scared, the place was so dark. She could almost feel the weight of the earth above her. Then she stopped suddenly greeted by a pool of water stretching across the floor. She stumbled the stones falling from her hand with a plunk into the water.   
  
Suddenly the water erupted in blue fire. The flames licked across the water lighting up the cavern. Quistis now stared across the water at the one thing she knew she would be learning Shockwave Pulsar from. A huge stone statue of the most powerful guardian force, Greiver. Its arms were positioned crossed across its chest, head thrown back in a silent scream. Wings snapped out at their full length, the stone barley touching the wall.   
  
A squat square alter sat in front of it, dwarfed by the huge statue. She slid her foot into the water. It was warm, the fire reaching out to touch her almost as if it was alive. The blue flame brushed against her, hot but not burning.   
  
About half was across the pool the water came to her waist. She could see all the way to the bottom. Lying on the stone were glowing blue runes. She walked the rest of the way though the water, and stepped out on the plat for before the alter. The water dripped from her splattering on the stone floor.   
  
"Who disturbs my eternal slumber?" A voice rolled through the cave. It was deep, rumbling, and seemed to emit from the statue its self.   
  
"I am Quistis Trepe, Blue mage" she responded tagging the last part on at a whim.   
  
"It has been long since a woman has traveled here to receive the final Blue gift" the voice growled again seeming almost nostalgic.   
  
"I am the last of the Blue mages" Quistis said softly looking down at the blue gem in her hand.   
  
"There will be others" the voice said with a touch of a smile.   
  
"What must I do" Quistis asked looking up at the statue.   
  
"Defeat me" it roared as the stone burst out from the statue. She was in a shower of sharp stone, and then found herself face to face with Greiver.   
  
What Quistis would have given for her whip at that very instant. But she was alone, and all Quistis had was she. Then it dawned on her, she had her blue magic as well. There it was resting in the back of her mind ready to use at any moment.   
  
"Mighty Guard" she whispered feeling shield wrap around her naked self. Greiver's talon snaked towards her, and she dodged expertly her mind working fast. Degenerator would do her no good, it never worked when she really needed it to.   
  
"Micro Missile"   
  
It's head reared back before it breathed fire down upon her. She gritted her teeth in pain, and prepared for her next spell. Her voice rang out across the cave, powerful and strong.   
  
"Ray-Bomb" she shouted.   
  
Greiver seemed to grin at her as it raised its arms up in the air. Her heart started to thump faster as she realized what was happening. The ground melted from beneath her, the cave around them rushing into a color of grays and purples. A huge hovering ball appeared before her, lightening crackling across it. Sparks shot off of it and for a few moments all she knew was pain. She fell forward her knees hitting hard on the stone pavement.   
  
"White wind" she choked the words out just barely as Greiver's talon was closing in for another claming of her blood. The cool white breeze surrounded, ruffling her blond hair. The black barb struck her back, drawing a shower of blood. She jumped to her feet, her blue eyes steely.   
  
"Laser Eye" she said her voice matching her eyes. At that moment the red laser burst from her eyes, striking across Greiver's fur. The GF growled in pain stone slowly climbing up its skin.. Suddenly in a flash of light it was a statue again.   
  
"Take it, my child, you have earned your prize" the voice growled before falling quiet. Quistis shuddered casting white wind on herself one final time to take away the last of the pain. Then she stepped up to the altar and slowly placed her gemmed hand upon it. Tiny droplet of blue light slid up her fingers, swirls of blue color surrounded her.   
  
Her gem flared, and all she could see was blue.   
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·» «·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
"Where is she?" Seifer questioned out loud to the others. Zell was sitting beside Ellone who had fallen asleep. Selphie sat beside the water staring at the small lump of an island in the distance.   
  
"She's safe" Selphie said softly with a nod of her head.   
  
"Well if she's not back soon, I am going out after her" Seifer said standing up wit a huff. He then shook his head wondering what the hell he was thinking. This being good stuff was hard. He had to admit it to himself, he was worried about his former Instructor.   
  
He could even admit he cared for her.   
  
Seifer shook his head and stared across the blue water. Trabia was cold, and all he wanted was a hot cup of coffee.   
  
"There she is!" Selphie exclaimed suddenly pointing across the water. Seifer squinted and spotted her at last, walking. Walking across the surface of blue. She wore a filmy blue dress that moved in the breeze with her loose blond hair. The gem imbedded in her hand winked in the morning light.   
  
As she neared he could see her blue eyes glowing. Unnaturally he could feel the power rolling off of her. She stepped onto the land looking at all of them with those strange eyes.   
  
"I am complete" she said her voice heavier then usual. Then she stumbled falling forward, and Seifer was there to catch her.   
  
"Why do I always find myself in this position" he said out loud with a tiny smile. She looked up at him her eyes almost back to normal, that surging of power gone. Her eyes were bluer, deeper. He felt himself being drawn in to their sparkle.   
  
"Thank you, Seifer" Quistis said softly. The sound of his name jolted him from his journey into the depths of her blue. He smirked down at her and only nodded as he helped her to her feet.   
  
"You ok, Quis?" Zell asked.   
  
"Of course" she answered with a smile and a nod. Zell wrapped her up in a big bear hug clapping her on the back a few times.   
  
"Let's get back to the Ragnarock!" Selphie exclaimed with a grin. The others followed her through the trees, Quistis taking slow deliberate steps. Seifer followed behind her to make sure she could make it.   
  
"Thank you" she said to him for the second time that day.   
  
"Why?" he asked frowning.   
  
"For caring enough to make sure I was okay" she responded with a small smile.   
  
"Hey, I never got to thank you" Seifer said suddenly.   
  
"For what?" Quistis asked.   
  
"Diablos" at the mention of his name the GF stirred deep inside Seifer's mind.   
  
"Oh! You're welcome" Quistis exclaimed her face lighting up in a grin.   
  
"Seifer, Quistis. Hurry!" the heard Selphie's voice shout from inside the ship. It was filled with urgency, something was wrong. The two blondes exchanged a look and rushed for the ship, their boot heels clanging on the ramp. They rushed into the cockpit area to hear a distress signal over the radio.   
  
"Attention all SeeD's, Balamb Garden under attack. Mobile Missiles have been launched" Squall's voice was repeating over the radio with a strange calm. They all looked around at each other fear in their eyes.   
  
"Well, get this red monster in the air" Seifer practically shouted at the dumb founded Selphie. The brunette moved into action, and the ship leapt of the soil of Trabia. Heading with break neck speed for Balamb.   
  
  
  
  
  


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A/N Hurrah @ The revival of FF.net. Thanks to all of you who are still faithfull to this fic. There is some great stuff comming up. :D 


	17. Garden Elegy

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Seventeen**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Garden Elegy**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
The blue sky sped past them, as the raced for the location of Balamb Garden. Seifer stared out the window his posture as if he was made of stone. How dare something attack his garden, his home. It hit him suddenly, guilt stirring deep in his gut, he had done the exact same thing.   
  
A loud roar from the outside filled the cabin, and Selphie was shouting something. Seifer pressed his face against the cool glass of the window. Missiles, gaining on them, speeding past them. Right towards Balamb which was now in sight. People swarmed across the Balamb plains towards town. The first missile hit the halo of the garden breaking it into pieces. The gold glowing metal shattered.   
  
Selphie was landing the Ragnarock, amidst all of the running SeeD's and Cadets. Seifer was the first one at the back hatch, forcing it open just as the Red Ship hit the ground. He ran, trench coat swirling out behind him. He ran against the current of people, his feet pounding hard on the ground.   
  
Panic, Pandemonium, Chaos. The three sisters at work.   
  
Another missile hit the slow moving garden sending a shudder through the whole building. Seifer couldn't run fast enough to save the remaining people inside as the Garden started to go down. It hit the ground with a deafening crash, the final missile to finish it off racing towards it.   
  
He stopped starring up at the sky, his eyes wide with amazement. His breathing was heavy, his heart telling him to run away. His mind telling him to stay to make sure she would be ok. Floating there in the sky in front of the falling Balamb Garden was Quistis.   
  
The air stirred her hair, sending a golden waterfall over her shoulders. The light blue dress was rippling. Her eyes were glowing the same gem sapphire blue, as they had when she walked across the water. Power coursed from her, so strong it was almost tangible.   
  
"No!" Seifer shouted as the missile screamed towards her. She raised her gemmed hand, the sun winking off the jewel. It was so hard for him to breath, fear thudding inside his rib cage.   
  
It was so close to her, the object that would be hers and the garden's death. Then she slowly lowered her hand, slicing through the air. The sky split open, into a gaping black vortex. The missile sped into the blackness, which closed in around it. Balamb settled at last with its rudder split, the halo broken. Smoke rose from it in gray towers, winding lazily up into the sky.   
  
Seifer couldn't take his eyes off Quistis, who still hovered above him. Then she shook her head slowly and looked around. Her eyes widened back to their normal blue, before they rolled back into her head. And she began to fall.   
  
He was right there, catching her in his arms. He stumbled a bit under her weight. But there she rested, breathing normally. Her body was like fire, the gem practically searing his flesh. SeeD's were running past him, towards the creaking metal hulk of the crashed garden. People screamed from inside, bodies littered the ground in front of it. So much death.   
  
Seifer turned his back, walking towards the city of Balamb, carrying the one thing that had saved it at all.   
  
His stride was stopped as suddenly a very familiar woman appeared in front of him. Her flawless pale face, set with violet glowing eyes stared at him.   
  
"Medarra" he whispered the sorceress name in scorn. She grinned her plum lips turning up to reveal her slightly pointed canines.   
  
"Quistis!" Selphie shouted running up to him.   
  
"Take her to the hotel, I'll meet you there" Seifer said never taking his eyes off the woman in purple. He handed Quistis over to Selphie and slowly drew his black Hyperion.   
  
"What do you think of my handy work? I succeeded where you failed" She said laughing slightly. Seifer swallowed hard and tried to ignore her words. Then suddenly he was no longer alone.   
  
Squall stood to the left of him, his transparent gunblade the perfect opposite of Seifer's. Zell stood on his left, pulling his black gloves on.   
  
"Only three of you?" she said with a smile. She shook her head, brown hair tumbling around her. Squall was the first to move into action, dashing forward to slice her with his lionheart.   
  
Thunder. The clouds were rolling in the sky.   
  
_(~ GILGAMESH~)_   
  
The red clothed GF landed easily in front of them, four swords swirling around him. He grabbed one from the ground grabbing the great black blade. Gilgamesh slashed at the sorceress, when suddenly his sword stopped in mid air. The Guardian Force was frozen in place.   
  
Medarra grinned reaching out to touch the top of the enormous sword. A ringing sounded through the air followed by a bright flash. When the white cleared from Seifer's vision, both she and Gilgamesh were gone.   
  
"Gilgamesh..." Squall said softly his voice trailing off into nothingness. Zell shook his head in disbelief, staring at the empty ground where they had both stood.   
  
"She did the same thing that you did to everyone else, she drew it from you" Seifer explained without needing to. Squall shook his head and then his eyes snapped to the smoking garden.   
  
"Zell, you're with me" Squall said striding purposefully off towards the garden. Seifer turned on a heel and began to run towards the tiny blue town of Balamb.   
  
  
  
Seifer ran into town, trying to ignore the wounded and the dead lying in the streets. His heart hurt for them all, but only one woman was in his mind. The golden haired beauty that had been there for most of his life.   
  
He crashed into the hotel, looking around with fierce eyes. Seifer spotted two very familiar looking girls sitting against the back wall. Jaylar and Tolia, the girls that had accompanied him on his SeeD exam.   
  
"Seifer" Tolia called out, waving him over to them.   
  
"Did you see where Selphie took Quistis?" He asked nodding at them both. Jaylar had a cut over her eye, and Tolia's leg was broke.   
  
"The sorceress stole the headmaster and his wife!" Tolia blurted out in a rush. Seifer felt his heart crash to the pit of his stomach.   
  
"Are you sure?" he asked.   
  
"We both saw it" Jaylar said nodding in confirmation.   
  
"Thanks" Seifer said distractedly.   
  
"Instructor Trepe is in Room 6" Tolia said.   
  
"She's not an Instructor anymore" Seifer said softly before heading up the stairs.   
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·» «·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
  


Ellone sighed as she leaned back on her haunches admiring the bandage job she had just don on her patient's leg. There were so many wounded, it was lucky that she had medical training. She stared around the plains, looking for anyone else who needed her at that moment.   
  
Zell was carrying a tiny cadet in his arms heading right for her. She stood up and met him on a black patch of grass. Worry and doubt, now shadowed his cobalt eyes that were usually full of spunk and life.   
  
"She's hardly breathing" Zell said his voice heavy. Ellone nodded and helped him lower her to the ground. A quick survey of the girl told Ellone that she was not going to life. The large shard of blue metal sticking out of her stomach was a simple indication. Ellone looked up at Zell tears forming in her deep brown eyes. He tugged his bottom lip between his lips and stood up, looking away from the dying girl.   
  
Ellone stood up and placed a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked down and rubbed the back of his hand hard across his eyes.   
  
"Zell" Ellone said softly. He turned and looked at her eyes wet. She slid her arms around his waist pulling him into a soft embrace. Zell wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. He stared over her shoulder at the smoking ruin of his home.   
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·» «·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
Seifer let himself into room six, glancing once at Selphie sitting in an armchair. He sat on the edge of Quistis' bed and looked down at her.   
  
"Go tell Squall that the sorceress has Cid and Matron" Seifer said not even looking at the brunette. Selphie gasped and ran out of the room, her nuncuku's clanking heavily at her side. He reached out and touched Quistis' cheek softly.   
  
Her eyes flew open and she sat up straight her breathing heavy. Her chest raised pronouncedly inside the blue dress.   
  
"The garden!" she exclaimed trying to climb pass him. She pushed slightly on his shoulder.   
  
"Calm down, you need rest" Seifer said resisting her.   
  
"Why?" Quistis asked frowning.   
  
"It's net every day you faint and fall out of the sky" he said with a slight roll of his eyes. Quistis fell back onto the pillow and stared at him with misty blue eyes.   
  
  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked suddenly. What WAS he doing here?   
  
"I was worried about you" he responded. He then decided she was much easier to deal with when she was unconscious. That thought made him smile a bit.   
  
"Oh, well I'm fine" she said crossing her arms.   
  
"She's got Matron" he said softly watching the shock register in her eyes. She shook her head and stared up at the ceiling.   
  
  
  
"Why is she doing this to us?" Quistis asked almost furious. Seifer sighed and shook his head. He raked a hand through his blond spikes, a nervous habit. Nervous, What did he have to be nervous about?   
  
"I don't know, but she has some major plan" Seifer said.   
  
"How do you know?" Quistis asked.   
  
"Because all sorceress' do" Seifer said with a knowing smirk. She shook her head laughing a bit.   
  
  
  
"This is all my fault. I never should have dragged you all away from here" she said.   
  
"If you hadn't then you never could have saved the garden the way you did today" he responded. She shook her head tears welling in her eyes.   
  
"I'm scared" she whispered amazed that she was admitting such emotion to none other then Seifer Almasy. He smiled softly and took her hand into both of his.   
  
  
  
"I'll protect you" he said not knowing where the words were coming from. His eyes locked with hers and she searching for emotions. Deep hidden in his golden flecked emerald eyes was something she couldn't touch. Something just out of her reach.   
  
"I am in need of a knight" she said with a smug smile.   
  
  
  
"No, I'll never be a knight again. A soldier maybe, but never a knight" he said very softly watching how the sun setting outside the window sent streaks of golden flame dancing along her hair.   
  
"That's it then, you will be my solider. My eternal soldier" she whispered her eyes fluttering shut again.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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A/N: *grins evily* Good stuff comming up.   
  
Thanks for all the reviews you guys! You've all been too good to me! :) 


	18. Rhythm of the Heart

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Eighteen**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Rhythm of the Heart**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
_ The flame roared around like the hands of the devil reaching out for him. They wanted to claim him, to take him to their fiery deaths. Never allow the little boy to see the blue sky again. He ran as fast as he could a tiny teddy clutched to his chest. His mother screamed behind him smoke rising from her layered skirts.   
  
"No mommy!" the little boy's voice echoed in through the marble hallway, the licking flames. He rushed at her and beat the flames down with his teddy bear, before putting his little hand into hers. She smiled down at her with her thin lips. They ran together along the corridor smoke filling to boy's lungs.   
  
Suddenly the mother and her son skidded to a stop before a woman standing in the middle of the hallway. Her purple gown shimmered in the firelight, her would be beautiful face ruined by a cruel smile. **** "Why?" the boy's mother asked her voice so sad. **** "You should have kept your hands off my property" the woman in purple said. **** "I hate you!" the boy screamed suddenly running at the strange woman.   
  
  
  
His heart was breaking through the whole ceremony, each one of her words putting in another dent. Each touch of their hands a knife cut. The kiss was the final blow, the final jab to destroy his faith in love forever.   
  
With wounds no one could see he rushed from the chapel, clutching his chest. He could almost feel the warm blood run between his fingertips. She would be the death of him, love was never supposed to hurt this much.   
  
  
  
"I love you!" she said softly shaking her head. She was so beautiful.   
"I had to do it, my father would disown me if I didn't"   
"You had to marry that wench" She spat angrily with accusing blue eyes.   
"No better then you, marrying my rival" he said full of rage.   
"Why must this hurt so much?" she asked staring at him hand clutched at her breast.   
"Life hurts, my heart" he whispered pulling her into an embrace. They kissed lips meeting beneath his black helm.   
  
  
  
"She is my wife!" the man in red explained. He looked across the battlefield at him and rolled his eyes.   
"She does not love you" he said.   
"You will die for those words, Almasy" the man in red growled leaping at him sword drawn. Their swords met in a clash of metal, ringing out over the field.   
"You can never love her like I can" he said forcing his rival back a few paces.   
"You will never love her again" They clashed again blood drawn from his own shoulder. He took a few steps back looking at his long time rival. The one who had married the woman he loved.   
"Never forget me" he whispered harshly bringing his sward down at an angled slash. Blood erupted from the man in red's eye, rendering him forever half blind.   
  
  
  
His wife was laughing at him from across the room. _His wife?_ His rival and his only love were chained on the wall across from him. _Quistis?_ His wife started casting her purple lacquered fingers working arcane symbols into the air. _Why would he possibly marry a woman he did not love?_ The woman that he did love was screaming in pain. Her face seemed to be melting, distorting. Her body quivered as it started to change shape.   
  
  
  
_ And he awoke with a scream.   
  
  
  
Someone was pounding on his door, hysterical sobbing from the other side. He rushed to it and threw it open. Quistis stood there red faced, tears leaving trails on her cheek.   
  
"So much pain" she muttered falling forward into his arms. He drew her close holding her tight. The smell of her overwhelmed him, her soft hair brushing his cheek.   
  
"You felt her pain?" he asked closing the door behind her.   
  
"Every second of it" she whispered her voice shaking. He led her over to the couch and set her down. He stood up and got her a glass of water from the bathroom. Seifer placed it in her shaking hands, and she took a long drink.   
  
"What the hell was she doing to me" Quistis asked.   
  
"I don't know" Seifer responded staring at the floor.   
  
"It was Medarra, the woman casting the spell" Quistis said suddenly. Seifer's head snapped up at the recognition.   
  
"You're right!" he exclaimed. His wife, Medarra. Or who's ever wife his dreams were about.   
  
"But what does it mean?" Quistis asked knowing that full well he didn't have the answer. An idea dawned upon him then and he jumped up.   
  
"That means it must be the past, and who's the one person who can help us find out about the past" Seifer said.   
  
"Ellone!" Quistis exclaimed jumping up next to him. They hugged each other impulsively, laughing in each other's arms. It was all starting to fall together for them. Then on an impulse, he cupped his hands around her face whipping away the remaining tears.   
  
"I won't let her do the same thing to you, that she did to that woman" he whispered fiercely. He stared down into those blue eyes, the ones that were so much like the woman's in the dream. Then he leaned down and placed his lips to hers.   
  
  
  
Emotion rolled through him. Love, Worry, Sadness, and Pain. She tasted sweet, and salty from her tears. She touched his face lightly, not shying away from the kiss.   
  
_ "Life hurts, my heart" he whispered pulling her into an embrace. They kissed lips meeting beneath his black helm. _   
  
Black helm.   
  
_ "Let me add another scar for ya" his voice echoed through out the helmet but he wasn't speaking. Ringing right down to the core of his soul. It was time he unleashed the power of the great sword in his hand. Riding faster now he saw himself right in front of his horse. Looking angry in his ragged trench coat. The image of himself held up the Hyperion, and suddenly he felt himself being torn in two. A great voice ringed in his ears. _   
  
Black Helm. Horns. Black Armor. White Horse.   
  
_ The image of himself held up the Hyperion, and suddenly he felt himself being torn in two. _   
  
It hit him like a lightening bolt. Lunatic Pandora, was when he had said those words. Right before he had sliced the great GF Odin in half.   
  
"Odin" he whispered out loud pulling away from her. She looked up at him with quizzical eyes.   
  
"In the dreams, I am Odin" he said the words, and knew it to be true.   
  
"How come I never realized it before!" Quistis exclaimed shaking her head. Their kiss was forgotten for the moment.   
  
"Tomorrow we MUST find Ellone. We need an explanation" Seifer said solidly. Quistis nodded firmly and eyed the door out of the room.   
  
"You can sleep in my bed, I'll take the couch" he said with a soft smile. She nodded and placed her hand on his shoulder. He stared into her eyes, watching the swirling blue. Then their lips met again for the second time that night.   
  
Life could be so very strange.   
  
The emotion was so strong, he didn't understand it. He didn't know how to react to the new feelings.   
  
Here was in a moonlit hotel room kissing Quistis Trepe. A woman that a few years ago he hated. That he would have given anything to remove from his life completely. But now, he would give anything to keep her in it.   
  



	19. Battle Rondo

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Nineteen**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Battle Rondo**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
"Seifer!" a voice called from the other side of the door. Seifer tried to pull himself out of his dreamless sleep. Frantic pounding, the door shaking in it's frame.   
  
"We are under attack" the same crazed male voice said from the other side of the door. That snapped Seifer out of his rest bringing him to his feet.   
  
"Quistis, wake up" he said touching her softly on the shoulder. She stirred her blue eyes opening, there were gunshots running outside.   
  
"We have to move" he said sliding his trench coat on over his bare chest. Quistis was out of bed by the time he had grabbed Hyperion. Seifer opened the door and found Selphie standing there, her eyes full of adrenaline.   
  
"Seifer, Medarra's here! With monsters, where's Quistis" Selphie asked.   
  
"Right here" Quistis said softly from behind him. Selphie's eyes widened and then she shot Seifer a dirty look before turning on a heel and rushing out.   
  
"Let's go" Seifer said softly taking Quistis' hand. She nodded and they rushed out of the hotel into the streets of Balamb. SeeD's swarmed the streets helping move the wounded inside. One the horizon the more powerful were battling back a wave of grotesque monsters. Medarra stood at the center surrounded by a shimmering force field. She led the way through the streets at a run, her eyes slowly turning into hard sapphires. The gem was burning in his hand, her flesh writhing in his grip.   
  
Reaching the line of monsters she let go of him, and he drew his Hyperion. He lost sight of her golden hair knowing full well that she was more then capable of taking care of herself.   
  
The only thing he saw was the raging battle. Monsters tearing into people, people tearing into monsters. The dead littering the field.   
  
Blood everywhere, staining his blade. Staining his coat. Staining his soul.   
  
"Seifer" Zell said running up, blood dripping down his arm.   
  
"What is it?" Seifer asked destroying another monster of Medarra's making.   
  
"Squall wants us all together, Rinoa's got some plan" Zell said. Seifer growled and shook his head running for the middle of battle where Squall had his glowing gunblade raised into the air.   
  
Rinoa stood there, her eyes glowing an amber color. It reminded Seifer of his time with Ultimicia so much, it almost took his breath away.   
  
"We must capture the sorceress, not kill her. We need her to return matron" Squall said looking around as he fended off another monster easily.   
  
"I'm going to attempt to trap her in a web, but I need you all to cover me" Rinoa said her voice thick with power. Seifer was searching for Quistis in the battle, he couldn't see her anywhere. Then Rinoa began to cast a spell, he voice carrying over the din of battle. Great white strands of light shot from her fingertips encasing themselves around Medarra.   
  
"No!" Quistis' voice washed over him striking fear into his heart. Seifer glanced around spotting blond across the battle. And he abandoned his post, he ran for her. His feet moving faster then he ever could have thought.   
  
He reached her just in time to see her falling. Medarra stood before her, statuesque in her purple gown. Seifer glanced to the sky, seeing Rinoa's web burst in an explosion of blue fire. He look back to the blood stained ground where Quistis lay. A long shard of ice protruded from her chest.   
  
Seifer dropped to his knees beside her, glaring up at Medarra.   
  
"Why?" he choked out not noticing as Ellone arrived at Quistis side. Medarra did not answer, instead she laughed her wicked laugh. Then her and all of her monsters disappeared.   
  
"Seifer" Quistis choked out from beside him on the ground. Ellone was there working healing magic on the wound. He looked down at her, staring into her soft brilliant eyes. He had been so close to losing her, so very afraid.   
  
"What happened?" Seifer asked.   
  
"The one in the sky was a decoy, she was after me" Quistis said softly. Seifer took her head staring at the blue gem.   
  
"Is that better?" Ellone asked as the ice shard melted away over Quistis' perfectly healed flesh.   
  
"Ell, you're just the person we needed to talk to" Quistis said catching the older girl's wrist before she could run away.   
  
"What is it?" she asked her brown eyes tired.   
  
"We need you to send us into the past, both of us" Quistis said. Ellone looked up into Seifer's eyes, and then back down at Quistis.   
  
"There are more to be healed, find me tonight. I will do what you need," she said standing up. She rushed away, heading towards Zell who was standing over Rinoa's limp form.   
  
"Rin's down" Seifer said stating the obvious.   
  
"Most likely she got backlash from the spell" Quistis said as Seifer helped her to her feet. She sighed and placed a hand to her head. Slowly together, they looked around the battlefield. There were more dead then wounded, blood spilled every where.   
  
"All of this for me" Quistis said with a slow shake of her head.   
  
"She must be stopped" Seifer said his voice steady. Quistis looked up at him with tears brimming in her eyes.   
  
"We will stop her" Quistis said in agreement.   
  
"I never should have left you alone today, she might have killed you" Seifer said. Quistis shook her head again.   
  
"She wasn't here to kill me. This was a warning" the blue sorceress says. Seifer frowned and pulled her into his arms. He just wanted to hold her and never let her go.   
  
"I still could have lost you" he whispered. She was so amazed at his words, it was so hard to believe that Seifer could have such emotion.   
  
"Let's start helping with the wounded" Quistis said glancing towards the ruins of Balamb Garden. So mach had been destroyed because of her.   
  
  


** ¸.·´¯`·» . .«·´¯`·.¸ **

  
  
  
It was dusk when the two of them went to find Ellone. They searched most of the small town when the finally found her on pier asleep. She was nestled in Zell's arms, who was awake. He was looking down at her, his eyes soft. A tiny smile was on his face.   
  
"She's expecting you" Zell said touching her hair softly. She stirred a bit her sleepy brown eyes opening.   
  
"Oh. Seifer, Quistis you're here" she said softly pushing herself into a sitting position.   
  
"You've been busy with the wounded all day long, we can understand if you want to wait" Quistis said softly. Ellone shook her head, her short hair brushing across her face.   
  
"No, I am ready. Tell me what needs to be done" Ellone said with a grave look on her face. Seifer told her about the dreams, about Odin and Medarra. About the others, at the end of their speech she nodded sage-like.   
  
"Are you prepared?" she asked. They both nodded, Quistis slipping her hand into his. Ellone's eyes were boring into them both, huge pools of sparking brown.   
  
White noise filled their ears, drowning out all sound. The pier, the blue ocean water, Ellone and Zell all melted away.   
  
Seifer felt like he was falling into a dream.   
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
A/n: Hey everyone! Next chapy = good. Watch for it! :)   
  
I broke 200!!! That is so huge!! IT is so amazing to me, I've always thought my writing was crap. But here you all are tell me I am wrong!   
  
Thank you everyone, all of you, for such wonderful reviews! It means so very much to me. 


	20. Hymn of Memories

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Twenty**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Hymn of Memories**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
"It's a girl!!!" The voice cried out over the courtyard of excited, waiting people. Seifer shifted in the heavy black armor. His heart leapt, when he heard the news. The press of bodies urged through the heavy oak double doors into a throne room.   
  
A man with a heavy bandages over one eye. Covered in red cloths was holding a tiny screaming baby girl. His frail looking wife clutched his arms still swathed in the white birthing cloths. Seifer's eyes met hers, met her shining blue orbs.   
  
The clicked together like magnets, love swelling in his heart. Quistis was in that woman's body, he could see her lucking deep inside. Behind the new shinning joy of mother hood.   
  
_That could have been my little girl._   
  
The thought was not Seifer's, but instead the body of the man he was in. Odin, wielder of the great sword Zantatzuken. The only sword his long time rival needed to complete his set. Never would he give up his family heirloom to that arrogant prick, never would he allow him to get all four.   
  
"Her name shall be Quistis!" the man in head shouted. Seifer frowned panic racing though him. What did this all mean, the baby was Quistis? He reached up and took the black helm off letting his long blond hair tumble down his shoulders.   
  
That was the name we had chosen if we were to have a little girl.   
  


**¸.·´¯`·»**

  
  
He was standing at the head of a chapel. The altar sprawled before him decorated in spring blooms. The towering stone columns around him twined with brightly colored ribbons. It was the only time Seifer had never been in armor. Instead a bit alarmed to find him in dress robes.   
  
A wedding, his bride was walking down the isle. She wore a long gown of white, a gauzy veil hiding her face. He dreaded her every step. How he hated his father for making him marry. His heart would always belong to another. His eyes drifted to her, who was sitting on the front row.   
  
She was cradling her newborn child to her breast. Her prince in red sitting next to her with his arm wrapped around her shoulders.   
  
His bride reached him, and he slowly drew back her veil. Revealing a very young, beautiful Medarra. Her violet eyes looked up at him full of love.   
  


**«·´¯`·.¸**

"The babies,   
  
It was a boy. A boy, he was a father. It was a boy, his wife had given birth to a boy. He stood beside her looking down at the tiny baby in his arms. Medarra lay on the bed sweat beaded on her forehead. She smiled a weak smile up at him.   
  
Those violet eyes still carried undying love for him. Too bad he could never return that love.   
  
"What shall we name him?" she asked her voice soft and gentle.   
  
"Seifer, Seifer Almasy" he whispered. Sock rolled through Seifer, but only love filed Odin. This was he as a child.   
  
This was his father and his mother.   
  


**¸.·´¯`·»**

  
  
The rain was very cold, chilling him to the bone. The armor encasing him pinged with each drop. She was waiting for him in their spot. Inside the tiny gazebo where he had first told her he loved her.   
  
His love was wearing a long black gown her eyes misty with tears.   
  
"Hello my Queen" he said dropping to one knee as a proper knight would.   
  
"Odin" her voice choked out his name. Seifer rose to his feet and took her hands carefully. It was the first time Seifer had ever noticed the blue gem in her hand. Of course it had always been there, the knowledge just hadn't been revealed to him yet.   
  
"How does it feel to be the Queen?" he asked softly.   
  
"Dreadful, why couldn't they have just lived forever?" she asked moving away from him to collapse on the stone bench near by.   
  
"You were destined to rule" he said.   
  
"I was destined to rule a kingdom I don't want, and to marry a man I don't love" she said breaking into fresh tears.   
  
"I love you" he whispered sitting down next to her.   
  
"Why couldn't things be more simple?" she asked resting her head on his shoulder. He slid his gauntlet off the caress her golden locks softly.   
  
"Life hurts, my heart" he whispered.   
  
"You always say that" she whispered back lifting her head up to look him full in the face. He leaned over and kissed her pulling her into a tight embrace.   
  
Only known to Seifer, in the distance Medarra watched with jealous burning eyes.   
  


**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
"The babies, take them far away" Odin said. Panic rose inside Seifer. He held his child in his arm. Wrapped in gray cloth a silver necklace graced his throat. It was the one that Seifer wore even to this day.   
  
He placed his child into her arms. She looked up at him with blue eyes full of love and pain.   
  
"Medarra knows, she is going to do something terrible. You must flee" he said pushing her away a little bit. She nodded and turned to run clutching his child to her chest. He hoped that he had saved her life and the life of his child.   
  


**¸.·´¯`·»**

  
  
Seifer struggled against the chains that held him.   
  
"Let us go" he shouted to Medarra who was standing before him. The room, the chains, the sigils painted on the floor all of it was too familiar. Then he spotted them across the room chained to the wall.   
  
The man in red, a black patch over his eye. And her, the one he loved.   
  
"Where did you take my child?" Medarra asked her.   
  
"Never" the woman spat her eyes a fiery blue. The gem in her hand held a fire all its own.   
  
"Then I shall destroy you first" Medarra replied turning to walk to the center of the circle.   
  
"If you kill me you'll never find anything out"   
  
"Killing you would be too easy, I shall bind you to servitude for all eternity" Medarra said with a sneer. The man in red started laughing hysterically his laughter mixing with the strange arcane words that Medarra was saying. Her long fingers weaved patterns in the air.   
  
Light flashed over his loves form. She started to struggle screaming in pain. All color drained from her, her body started to melt, change shape.   
  
"_Eden!_" he found himself screaming the name of his only love.   
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·».«·´¯`·.¸**   
  
  


Seifer was breathing heavily, finding himself back in familiar surroundings. Zell was helping Ellone to her feet. Quistis sitting on the ground a dazed look in her eyes.   
  
"Quis" he breathed dropping beside her. She looked at him slowly, her eyes full of pain and shock.   
  
"I was my mother. The woman was my mother" Quistis said. Seifer nodded helping her slowly to her feet.   
  
"Eden is your mother. Odin is my father" he said softly his voice flat. It was too much to handle.   
  
"Seifer, Medarra.. She's your.. mother" Quistis said slowly tears springing in her eyes. Seifer only nodded afraid to speak. She frowned rubbing her forehead.   
  
"Gilgamesh" she blurted out suddenly. It hit Seifer like a ton of bricks, Gilgamesh was the man in red. Gilgamesh had been his father's rival. Four swords, one eye. Of course it all made sense now.   
  
"Ell, you okay?" Seifer asked suddenly shoving the thought of his parents behind.   
  
"She turned them into Guardian Forces, a life of eternal servitude" Quistis whispered.   
  
"Yes" Ellone answered Seifer leaning heavily on Zell's arm.   
  
"There more. I was in a fire with a woman, whom I called mother. Medarra was there. I need to go there" Seifer explained to Ellone. The brunette nodded and placed her hand slowly on his temple.   
  
White.   
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·».«·´¯`·.¸**   
  
  


He was about six, maybe seven. Seifer was in a child's body. The flame roared around like the hands of the devil reaching out for him. They wanted to claim him, to take him to their fiery deaths. Never allow the little boy to see the blue sky again. He ran as fast as he could a tiny teddy clutched to his chest. His mother screamed behind him smoke rising from her layered skirts.   
  
"No mommy!" the Seifer's voice echoed in through the marble hallway, the licking flames. He rushed at her and beat the flames down with his teddy bear, before putting his little hand into hers. She smiled down at her with her thin lips. They ran together along the corridor smoke filling the boy's lungs.   
  
Suddenly the mother and her son skidded to a stop before a woman standing in the middle of the hallway. Her purple gown shimmered in the firelight, her would be beautiful face ruined by a cruel smile. Medarra, she had come to claim him.   
  
"Why would you do this?" the boy's mother asked her voice so sad.   
  
"You should have kept your hands off my property" the woman in purple said.   
  
"I told you that I found him, beside the river. I did not know he was your child" his mommy said her voice tired and sad.   
  
"He will be leaving with me" Medarra said.   
  
"I hate you!" Seifer screamed suddenly running at the strange woman. Medarra topple to the floor surprised at his attack. He flailed at her with tiny fists hitting flesh. She laughed softly shaking her head.   
  
"So much like your father" she whispered before disappearing. He lay on the marble floor, angry and hot. He turned to see his mother collapsed on the floor.   
  
"Mommy!" he cried grabbing her hand. He dropped his teddy bear and began to drag her towards the door. Tugging pulling, he heaved her onto the slightly damp grass.   
  
"My Seifer" she whispered touching his cheek slightly. Then it slid away her body lifeless, chest no long rising and falling.   
  
"Mommy" he whispered again rocking back onto his heels holding himself. He didn't even have his teddy bear to clutch onto when the tears started to fall.   
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·».«·´¯`·.¸**   
  
  


When he awoke tears were still in his eyes. Medarra had killed the only mother he ha ever known. She had destroyed innocent people in her quest to retrieve him.   
  
"I don't even know her name" Seifer whispered to Quistis who was sitting beside him. She looked down at him, the night sky a swath of stars behind her.   
  
"Who?" Quistis asked.   
  
"The woman who took me in before I went to Matrons" Seifer whispered.   
  
"That's why we didn't arrive at the orphanage at the same time" Quistis said. Seifer nodded slowly sitting up.   
  
His brain reeled with too much new information.   
  
Odin was his father. He had killed his father back in the Lunatic Pandora. A man he could have loved and learned from. A man whose traits he eternally carried with him. Obvious since he had tried to take Squall's eye out, much like Odin had done to his rival.   
  
Medarra was dead in his eyes. Betrayed them all. And now she was here destroying his home, and his friends. Wasn't it enough that she had destroyed his life?   
  
The only woman he had known as a mother was dead. Killed by the women that really was his mother. He didn't even know her name, or where that house that had burned was.   
  
And now Medarra had Matron. Matron the woman he had betrayed his home and his friends for. The woman who had became his mother figure.   
  
There was no way he was going to let Medarra kill Matron. He would never allow her to kill another woman he considered a mother.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
A/N: Phew, well my darlings, What do you think? 


	21. Lullaby of Peace

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Twenty One**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Lullaby of Peace**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
Quistis sat next to him on a tiny stone bench in Balamb. They were both silent unable to convey their feelings. Last night had been such a rush of information, or feelings.   
  
Seifer had never felt so much in his life.   
  
It was strange, unkown. He reached out slowly and took Quistis' hand into his. Seifer ran his fingers along to cool blue stone. Cold now, but when she used her powers it flared to life. She held more power then he had ever seen. And for some reason Medarra, his mother, had given her that power.   
  
"Quistis" Seifer whispered her name, it tumbling from his lips like a prayer.   
  
"Yes" she said looking up from the rock she had been staring at into his shining eyes.   
  
"You need to reconcile with Rinoa" he said softly. She frowned her eyebrows drawing close together.   
  
"Why?" she snapped ripping her hand away.   
  
"She has your mother junctioned" Seifer said softly the words strange. Quistis' eyes softened and she slumped forward a bit. She sighed tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.   
  
"You mother will talk to you, like Diablos talks to me" Seifer said. He felt the familiar heaviness now settled in the back of his brain. Lingering there, all the while with the knowledge of his parents.   
  
Why did you never tell me, Seifer asked the GF in his mind.   
  
_(~It was not my place~) _   
  
Seifer only nodded curtly turning his attention back to Quistis.   
  
"Please Quistis" Seifer asked her almost pleadingly. She looked up at him, and touched his cheek softly.   
  
"I will" she said.   
  
"I'll arrange everything" Seifer said standing up. He looked down at her and then placed a quick soft kiss on her lips.   
  
Then he spun away the tail of his trench coat flapping out behind him. Her solider.   
  
  
  
Seifer walked right into Rinoa's hotel room without knocking. Rinoa yelped and grabbed the sheet wrapping it around her naked self. Her hair was still damp, she had just gotten out of the shower. Seifer plopped down in her desk chair, throwing his mud caked boots up on the clean surface.   
  
"Don't worry, it nothing I haven't seen before" he said with a casual wave of his hand. She frowned and tucked the sheet closer around her.   
  
"What do you want Seifer?" Rinoa asked.   
  
"You are going to make up with Quistis" Seifer said casually with a hint of danger in his voice.   
  
"I will not" Rinoa said lifting her chin up haughtily. Seifer rose and stood before her in one swift graceful movement. He was like a cat on the prowl.   
  
"You will, and you will be nice to her Rinoa" Seifer said his eyes glittering.   
  
"I've never seen you act so protective of someone Seifer, not even me" Rinoa whispered the last part immediately resenting him and there time in Deling City.   
  
"Just be in the dining room tonight" Seifer said shortly.   
  
"And if I don't?" she asked her voice still carrying that haughty tone. Seifer reached for his Hyperion and grinned softly.   
  
"Didn't you ever hear what I did to Xu?" he said with a cruel smirk.   
  
  
  
Quistis walked into the dining room of the hotel that night, still clad in the same light blue dress. It was dirty, and tattered around the edges. Her blond hair was sloppy, but there had been no time to worry about that.   
  
Rinoa sat at a table waiting for her. Her long chocolate hair was perfect tumbling over her pristine white dress. Rinoa always seemed to look magnificent, even in the middle of a war.   
  
"Rinoa" Quistis said crisply before sitting down.   
  
"It's good to see you Quistis" Rinoa said her voice as sugary as the pastry sitting uneaten on the plate before her.   
  
"How are you feeling after the black lash from your spell?" Quistis asked now noticing the slightly ashen look to the girl's normally creamy complexion.   
  
"I must confess I never saw it coming" Rinoa said. Quistis nodded and stared down at the gold rimmed plat in front of her.   
  
"Thanks for meeting with me tonight" Quistis said toying with the white cloth napkin.   
  
"Seifer can be very persuasive" Rinoa said with a touch of exasperation in her voice.   
  
"Don't I know it" Quistis said with a soft smile. She thought of his lingering kisses and his warm hands. It was strange how much had changed. Never before had she seen Seifer Almasy in this way.   
  
"So what do you want?" Rinoa asked.   
  
"Your GF" Quistis asked easily. Rinoa's eyes grew wide, and then soft.   
  
"Why?" Rinoa asked.   
  
"We both know there is no point in junctioning it. You can do magic just fine with out it" Quistis said.   
  
"Why?" Rinoa asked again frowning.   
  
"Eden was once the best blue sorceress in the land. I wish to have that power backing me" Quistis lied. She wasn't ready to tell Rinoa that her mother had been turned into some kind of freak Guardian Force. She was happy with the only two people knowing, besides her. Ellone and Seifer. Rinoa sighed and shook her head.   
  
"How come you never asked for it before?" Rinoa asked.   
  
"I only found out recently" Quistis responded truthfully.   
  
"As a symbol of peace between us then?" Rinoa asked with an impish smile. Quistis responded with a nod and her own smile. Rinoa wasn't always bad. Quistis felt the workings of the Junction Switch going on in the air around them. Quistis opened her mind to receiving.   
  
_(~QUISTIS!~)_ the female wail in her head was of more pain and anguish then she had ever known. Tears threatened to brim over in her blue eyes.   
  
_Mother_, Quistis whispered across her mind to the Guardian Force.   
  
"Thank you, Rin" Quistis said standing up.   
  
"Anytime" Rinoa said with a nod and a smile, "Oh, if you see Squall could you send him in?"   
  
"Certainly" Quistis responded. She rushed from the restaurant, bumping into Squall once she reached the street.   
  
"Rinoa's inside waiting for you" Quistis told him in a rush before running down the street. She ran into the plains diverting her eyes from the ruin of Balamb. Worked were working even now at restoring the Garden. She ran along the cliffs over looking the ocean.   
  
  
  
It was there that she summoned her mother.   
  
The summoning sequence went off with out a hitch, the bright colors stinging her eyes. Hovering over the water was the grotesque form of Eden.   
  
"Mother" Quistis whispered. She reached her gemmed hand out the threatening tears finally spilling down her cheeks.   
  
The GF looked down at her with sadness in her crystal eyes. A blue gem imbedded between them.   
  
_(~My daughter, you've found me at last~)_   
  
"I never knew" Quistis said her arm dropping limply to her side. She would never get to be held in her mother's arms.   
  
_(~I know~) _   
  
"Did you ever love my father" Quistis asked thinking of Gilgamesh the great one-eyed GF.   
  
_(~I respected him, and yes maybe I even loved him a little~)_   
  
"But Odin was then one you truly loved" Quistis whispered.   
  
_(~Yes~)_   
  
"If things had turned out differently, the man that I.." her voice trailed off. Did she love Seifer?   
  
_(~Do you love him?)_ Eden echoed her thoughts.   
  
"I don't know. If you had married Odin he might have been my brother" Quistis said.   
  
_(~An Almasy~)_ Amusement rolled in the GF's voice.   
  
"Seifer Almasy" Quistis whispered.   
  
_(~An honorable name. Perhaps destiny saw the two of you fit together, so did not allow Odin and I~)_   
  
"Mother" Quistis whispered again.   
  
_(~You are a sorceress now, I see~)_   
  
"Medarra made it so" Quistis said looking down at the blue gem.   
  
_(~She wants to absorb your power~)_   
  
"What?"   
  
_(~At all times on this planet there are three sorceresses, one of each type. There can be many of each, but always there is at least one~)_   
  
"Three?" Quistis asked.   
  
_(~Blue, White, Black~) _   
  
"Myself, Rinoa, and whom?" Quistis asked out loud.   
  
_(~Medarra knows a spell. If she can get her talons on three sorceress' at once~)_   
  
"It will make her a sorceress of all three types" Quistis said her voice deadpanning.   
  
_(~Exactly, and that is why she made you what you are~) _   
  
"The white sorceress, who is it?" Quistis asked.   
  
_(~Look inside yourself for the answer, it will take all three of you to defeat Medarra~)_   
  
The two women stared at each other, silence growing thick around them.   
  
"Odin is dead" Quistis said softly.   
  
_(~I know, I was there when his own son killed him~)_   
  
"Seifer didn't know!" Quistis exclaimed.   
  
_(~I know~)_   
  
"I love you, mother" Quistis said softly.   
  
_(~I love you too, my Quistis~)_   
  
Quistis slowly unsummoned her feeling Eden settle to rest in the back of her mind. Quistis slowly turned around to see Seifer standing there about ten feet away.   
  
"How long have you been there?" Quistis asked.   
  
"Not long" Seifer responded walking towards her. She smiled at him and nodded softly.   
  
"Oh, ok" Quistis said reaching out and taking his hand softly. He looked down at the pale hand in his. So delicate, so beautiful. He looked up at her, searching her sullen blue eyes.   
  
"We need to talk, Quistis" he said suddenly his voice full of conviction.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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A/N: I hope that cleared somethings up. Thanks everyone for reading! 


	22. Trio of Proposals

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Twenty Two**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Trio of Proposals**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
"What is it?" Quistis asked her voice full of panic. Seifer stared up at her against the moonlight background of the sky. The horizon was shot with purples and blues. The moon full, reflecting on the sparkling waves. He had never seen anything more beautiful.   
  
"I love you" he said with such passion in his voice it was over whelming. Quistis retreated a step back her eyes wide. The wind tousled her hair and the flippant fabric at the bottom of her dress.   
  
"Seifer, I love you too" she said before she knew what she was saying. She loved him, Seifer was elated. His heart bloomed spreading joy numbly through his body. A smile came to his face.   
  
"During the battle, for a moment I thought I had lost you. For that moment I had lost myself" he said. He thought back to that instant when he had seen the ice shard protruding from her chest. It had felt like it was in his chest. The sharp pain of worry, and fear. He had never ever been so afraid in his life.   
  
"Seifer -" she moved to interrupt him but he put a hand up. He still wore no gloves. Not since his pair had gotten shredded on the train so long ago. When Medarra had first kidnapped her. If only he could have stopped it then, this never would have happened.   
  
But then again he never would have fallen in love with Quistis Trepe. A year ago it would have seemed like an impossibility. Now it was all he clung to.   
  
"Let me finish" he said softly. She nodded her whole body tense.   
  
"People leave things too much up to chance. Take our parents for instance if they had moved quicker, you might have been my sister" he said. Quistis smiled in amusement.   
  
"What so funny?" he asked frowning.   
  
"I said almost the same thing to my mother" she said. He smiled and shook his head, then raked a hand through his blond spikes.   
  
"Quistis, Will you marry me?" he said suddenly at a loss. He had been planing this all day. He had a speech prepared and everything, but Seifer was never known for flowery words.   
  
Shock registered in her crystalline eyes. She had been crying, her eyes were rimmed in red. Seifer wished he could whisk her away to a place where she would never cry again.   
  
He reached out and took her hand softly. The moonlight winked off the swirling cerulean jewel. So much had changed when it had been placed in her hand.   
  
"Oh Seifer" she whispered his name collapsing into his arm. Her tinkling laughter filled the air, tears streaming freely down her face.   
  
"Is that a yes?" he asked face splitting into his trademark smirk.   
  
"Yes, yes! A thousand times yes Seifer!" she said though her laughter her eyes sparkling. He kissed her then lifting her feet off the ground. He spun her around and around. He could have stayed there forever with her, spinning around and around. Without a care in the world.   
  
"Let's do it as soon as we can" he said.   
  
"It will be a great moral booster for the people of Balamb" Quistis said a smile playing on her lips. Seifer grinned back. That was Quistis, always calculating.   
  
"I love you," he said softly proudly.   
  
"You go talk to Selphie, I'm sure she can whip it up in a matter of days" Quistis told him. He nodded and kissed her softly.   
  
"Where are you going?" he asked before they parted ways.   
  
"I just have some things to do, I'll catch up with you" she said. Seifer frowned slightly and shook his head.   
  
"Just be careful," he said.   
  
"Always" she whispered back her eyes glittering. She left him with a kiss, her long strides taking her across the plains towards the two of Balamb.   
  
  
  
  
  
It didn't take Seifer long to find the bubbly brunette. Where good needed to be done Selphie was there always ready to help. Selphie was standing with a group of people in front of the Balamb Garden ruins.   
  
Quistis had saved it from total destruction, but there had still been many people inside. Selphie was helping retrieve their bodies, and personal effects from the dorm. She looked tired, worn, and dirty.   
  
"Hey Selphie" he said walking up behind her. She spun around, automatically placing a smile on her face. A large streak of dust trailed down her left cheek, ruining the effect.   
  
"Seifer, great news! We just breached the infirmary. We have tons more medical supplies on hand now" She said the plastic smile never leaving her face.   
  
"Can I talk to you alone?" he said leading her by the arm away from all the others.   
  
"What's up Seifer?" she said.   
  
"You don't have to smile for me, Selphie," he said with a shake of his head. At his words she seemed to crumble, the smile sliding off her face. Body slumping visibly.   
  
"Two Gardens. Both the Gardens I've been to have been destroyed" she said. Seifer cringed thinking of his part in the first.   
  
"I'm sorry" he whispered unsure of what else to say. She looked up at him, her tears leaving tracks in her dirty face.   
  
"Oh Seifer. You don't have to apologize," she said. She shook her hands obviously sorry that she brought up bad memories.   
  
"Quistis and I have something we need you to do" he said hoping that the news could cheer her up a little.   
  
"What is it?" she asked in her tiny voice. She whipped away the tears with the back of her hand.   
  
"We need you to plan a wedding," He said with a smirk. Her head snapped up a cheerful smile returning to the normally sunny face.   
  
  
  
  
  
Quistis walked through the town, oblivious to the stairs of the wounded lying in the streets. Sorceress, they called her. Not in a bad way though, they knew she had saved many lives by deflecting the missile. Deflecting wasn't exactly the word, more like swallowing.   
  
She stepped out onto the pier spotting Ellone and Zell sitting at the other end. Zell was holding her hand, talking in a soft voice.   
  
"Ell?" Quistis said softly. Ellone looked up at her with questioning caramel eyes. Zell dropped her hand like he was a child caught in the cookie jar.   
  
"Hey Quistis, what's going on?" Ellone asked standing up. She smiled down at Zell softly.   
  
"Ellone have you ever considered how you got your powers?" Quistis asked softly.   
  
"I- I don't know" Ellone said softly.   
  
"You're a sorceress, Ell, A White sorceress" Quistis said softly. Ellone looked up at her everything all of a sudden making sense.   
  
Her time powers, her extraordinary healing magic.   
  
"White sorceress" Ellone whispered. Shock reeled through her striking her to the very bone.   
  
"Rinoa and I will need your help to defeat Medarra" Quistis said with a soft smile. She hugged the woman she had always thought of as a sister. Smiles graced both of their faces. Then Quistis floated away, the smile still remaining on her face.   
  
Ellone spun around to look at Zell, moments before the tears began to fall.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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A/N: I just wanted to say thank you to everyone still with me! I love you so much! :)   
  
Sorry if this chapy was too short, The next should be quite long.   
  



	23. Wedding Madrigal

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Twenty Three**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Wedding Madrigal**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
Selphie was an amazing woman. It had only taken her three days to throw together the wedding. All the remaining students and the people of Balamb had gathered on the Alucald Plains. They sat in the white chairs Selphie had borrowed from the hotel restaurant.   
  
An arch blooming with red roses was set atop the cliff where Quistis had talked to her mother only days before. Where he had proposed to her, giving her his heart. A long white runner ran up to the arch where a priest stood waiting.   
  
Seifer stood a few paces in front of the priest in a crisp black tux. His golden hair was glistening in the morning sun, a small smile residing on his face. His best man Raijun stood off to the side, next to Zell who was his only groomsman.   
  
The sun was setting, and candles had been strategically placed everywhere. They gave the whole plane a flickering glow of warmth.   
  
Despite the beauty around him Seifer couldn't help but look at the ruins of Balamb that loomed behind the people. It would always be there, looming in their memories forever. It had given them life, and a family. It was where love was found, and love was lost. Where friends had been made, and friends had died.   
  
The black grand piano that had also been borrowed from the hotel finally started to be played. Seifer was pleased to see it was none other then Fuijin's long fingers that graced the ivory keys. His long time friend and partner smiled at him softly with a slight nod of her head.   
  
All attention was turned to Rinoa who was the first of Quistis' bridesmaids to walk down the isle. She wore the same cream dress as she did to the Ball, on the fated day where she met her future love. Seifer watched the impish girl's tiny steps; thinking of days long passed. He had loved Rinoa; those fiery days in Deling had been something he had lived for. She was the embodiment of youth and beauty, the woman he had always wanted to protect.   
  
Seifer had said good-bye to her and those days long ago.   
  
Selphie came next, dressed in a flowing yellow sundress. Her green eyes were sparkling; everything was going so well. Seifer couldn't believe all the things the brunette had done for him. She had almost caused a riot on the day he failed his SeeD exam, and had followed him into the depths of the earth to find Quistis. There was more to her then sunshine and cookies, she had a beautiful heart.   
  
Selphie gave him a tiny grin as she took her place beside Rinoa.   
  
The only woman he had ever known as a sister walked slowly down the isle next. She was in a light blue dress, her elegant brown hair framing her face. She had been the one to reveal Seifer's past to him. To make him see his feelings for Quistis, and to allow him to open up to the world. Seifer couldn't help but glance over his shoulder at Zell, who was blushing furiously.   
  
It was no secret now, Zell had fallen for Squall's big sister.   
  
Seifer's head snapped forward as the wedding march began. The rows of people stood up, turning all their attention to the white tent. His pulse quickened, the air seeming to grow thick around him. It seemed like forever before the woman he loved walked out of the tent.   
  
The pristine white gown sparkled in the candlelight. A gauzy white veil hid her face and her golden hair. She carried a bouquet of white roses, red ribbons trailing from the stems. She made her slow ascent up the aisle.   
  
Quistis had been the one to teach him how to be a Seed. Now she was the one to teach him how to love, and at that he would never fail.   
  
This would never be like the wedding in their dreams. There was no man in the back she truly loved. He was waiting for her at the front. This was not pain, but true life-shattering love. She stepped in front of him, turning to hand the roses to Selphie.   
  
Seifer reached out and took her hands carefully. The audience sat down in proper silence. The priest began to speak, but his words lost to Seifer. His eyes were riveted on his veiled bride. Seifer had never thought of getting married, especially not to Quistis Trepe.   
  
Things had changed so much, the world had changed. He knew who his parents were; He had killed his father. The thought rolled over him like a storm cloud. It was pain it was anger. He would kill his mother, to make this world safe for his children. Then as quickly as the storm cloud had came, it was replaced by blue skies.   
  
Their children.   
  
The thought set his heart soaring in his chest. Dreams of playing in fields with Quistis and their babies flitted through his mind. It sent golden joy rippling through his heart.   
  
"I do," Quistis' voice interrupted Seifer's thoughts. Her voice was rich velvet rubbing across his skin.   
  
"And do you, Seifer Almasy, take this woman to be your wife?" the priest asked him. A grin shot across Seifer's face. He only had one answer in mind   
  
"I do," he said his hands tightening on hers.   
  
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride" the priest announced. Seifer slowly flipped her veil back to reveal her flawless face. Tiny tears of happiness flowed down her cheeks as he cupped her face in his hands. Their lips met softly in an elegant kiss. Their first kiss as husband and wife.   
  
Cheering rang out from behind them. Zell was whooping, Selphie was laughing. Seifer pulled away and the spun around to look at the crowd. The priest's voice rang out over the calls.   
  
"I now present you Mr. and Mrs. Seifer Almasy."   
  
The crowd roared in happiness, Seifer tossing his head back to laugh. He threw his arms around his wife and spun her around into another kiss. Selphie stood up in front of them and shouted to the crowd.   
  
"Everyone to the dance floor!"   
  
The crowd rushed to the area Selphie had set up for the after party. It was lined in white Christmas lights, with more candles. Wooden planks had been set down to dance on, and a band was already playing.   
  
Seifer pulled away from her again and wiped the teardrops from her cheek. He took her hand and they started walking to their after party.   
  
"I love you, Quistis" he said softly into the night air.   
  
"Once I had dreamed I would meet a man that would save me from this madness, but I fear Seifer Almasy that you have only driven me in deeper" she said with a grin. He chuckled and clenched her hand tightly.   
  
"Beautiful women make me do crazy things" he said with a smirk, pulling her onto the wooden dance floor. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and led her into a beautiful dance to the slow music playing. They were one unit moving in time with each other and the beat. All eyes were on them, the first dance.   
  
  
  
Everything had gone so perfectly, and Selphie was beaming with joy. People were dancing, the food was great, and everyone had been having a good time all night long. The bride and groom were beautiful golden reflections of happiness. They were radiant with each other.   
  
Selphie walked slowly over to where they were sitting, laughing with Zell and Ellone. All four of them looked up at her and she flashed Zell as secret smile. The blond man nodded and led Ellone off to the side.   
  
"Seifer, can I have this dance?" Selphie asked with a tiny smile. Seifer glanced at Quistis then nodded and stood up. He walked with Selphie onto the dance floor, glancing at Quistis only once more to see her get up to dance with Nida.   
  
"Everything is beautiful, thank you Selphie," Seifer said as they danced. She nodded, looking around satisfactorily.   
  
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to make everyone in Balamb happy, even if just for a night," Selphie said.   
  
"Your welcome" he said with a smile and a slight nod of his head. Selphie saw that Zell and Ellone were back out of the corner of her eye.   
  
"I have one more surprise for the two of you" she whispered softly.   
  
  
  
Seifer walked over to Quistis and wrapped his arms around her. She grinned up at him, her eyes sparkling.   
  
"What do you say we get out of here?" he said softly, kissing her neck with tender lips.   
  
"We can't leave our guests!" Quistis exclaimed softly with a giggle.   
  
"We are the bride and groom! It's expected of us to leave early," he said. She nodded and glanced around at all the people.   
  
"Okay, but let's not make a scene," she said. He nodded and took her hand. The two of them slid silently into the night. Seifer followed Selphie's carefully given instructions and led Quistis into the deep forest.   
  
"Where are we going?" she asked, lifting her skirts to walk easier. Roots from the trees threatened to trip her every step.   
  
"Selphie said it was a surprise," he responded with a glance at her over his shoulder. The two of them burst into a clearing filled with candles. Their flickering lights revealed a mountainous amount of blankets spread on the ground.   
  
"Where in the world did she get all these candles?" Quistis asked, looking around in amazement.   
  
"Don't know, don't care," Seifer whispered before sealing the space between their lips.   
  
Suddenly a loud boom was heard and they jerked apart, searching the sky for any sign of attack. Fiery color then exploded across the sky.   
  
"Fireworks? Where did Selphie get fireworks?" Quistis asked, gazing up at the sky with wide eyes. She sat down on the blankets and watched them burst into color. He sat down next to her, staring only at how the colors reflected on her hair.   
  
She turned her head and looked at him with a smile. At that instant they were the only two people in the world. He kissed her, pulling her tightly to him.   
  
The blue sorceress.   
  
She fell into his arms, veil slipping to the ground.   
  
And her eternal solider.   
  
Her hair tumbled around them in a shower of glistening light.   
  
Two naked, broken souls embraced to become one.   
  
That night he lost himself in her radiance, under a sky filled with golden fire.   
  
  
  
  
  


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** A Very Important Author's note**   
  
As many of you know, I run a message board. It is called Seiftis Forever, but it is for ALL fans of FF8.   
http://pub18.ezboard.com/bseiftisforever   
  
That's the address to the board if you would like to check it out. Anyway, we have been running a contest, The first ever Seiftis awards. Author's from all over nominated their favorite Seiftis stories for an array of different categories. We are allowing anyone to vote, so please go vote!   
  
There are a lot of wonderful authors out there and they deserve some recognition. Here's the voting form.   
  
http://www.boomspeed.com/seiftis/seiftisawards.htm   
  
  
  
Thank you everyone for reading another chapter of my fic! It really means a lot that you are all sticking with me :)   
  
Oh and a Special Thanks to Wravyn, for beta-ing this for me and cleaning up my grammar. 


	24. Missing Verse

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Twenty Four**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Missing Verse**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
Seifer awoke to the sound of birds chirping the next morning. He rolled over to reach for his golden-haired wife. To take her into his arms and hold her forever.   
  
There was an absence in their bed of blankets. His eyes slowly fluttered open to see a purple rose lying where she had slept that night. He was on his feet at once, and gave only a minute's thought to throwing his leather pants on.   
  
A scream ripped through the blue morning sky.   
  
Seifer rushing from the clearing, his chest was burning. Across the great green stretch of the Alucald plains a black craft sat with Medarra standing at the doorway. His wife lay on the ground beside her and Ellone was in her arms. Zell was running from the other way.   
  
His legs couldn't move fast enough. He couldn't get there in time, to stop his mother from throwing the two women into the craft. The black machine lifted into the air, its gears spinning loudly. Medarra stood in the doorframe looking down at them with a wicked grin on her face.   
  
"Bring the Black Sorceress and meet us in Centra," she called to the two blond men who had stopped running. Medarra waved good-bye to them from her perch, sending rage rocketing through him. Seifer leaned forward, hands resting on his knees. He breathed heavily, trying to rein in his anger. A string of expletives was coming from Zell's mouth.   
  
"I couldn't get to them in time" Zell said slamming his fist into his palm.   
  
"Let's go get Rinoa. I won't let her kill my wife," Seifer said with a soft vengeance in his voice. Two sets of blue eyes met, making a silent promise to each other on the plains. They would do anything to save the sorceresses they loved.   
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·» «·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
The group had gathered in the main room of the Balamb Hotel. All of them were there, and the mood was beyond tense.   
  
Selphie sat on the couch fighting back the tears the threatened to ruin her sunny façade. Irvine sat next to her, lounging back on the couch and staring at everyone from under the brim of his hat.   
  
Squall sat at the head of the table, his face stony. Rinoa was next to him, staring at the groves on the table, her eyes shadowed with tears. Zell paced in front of the door. Seifer stood at the other end of the table, every muscle in his body tense.   
  
They were wasting time.   
  
"We'll go in first," Seifer said, his voice as tense as his muscles.   
  
"She wants me, I'll go alone," Rinoa said softly. Seifer felt his jaw tighten.   
  
"No! if she gets you, you all die anyway!" Seifer said, trying not to shout at the tiny girl.   
  
"Why risk your lives when I can go alone? I'm not a little kid you know!" Rinoa exclaimed, getting to her feet. Fiery anger rolled through Seifer.   
  
"Squall, control your girlfriend, we don't need another Deling City incident," Seifer hissed, turning his green eyes to the stormy form of Squall. None of them could forget the time she tried to give Edea the Odin Bangle, and had almost cost them the mission.   
  
Rinoa took a deep breath sucking her bottom lip in between her breath. She opened her mouth to say something and Squall placed a silent gloved hand on her arm.   
  
She snapped her mouth shut and looked down at Squall.   
  
"He's right, we don't need you going off half cocked and leaving the rest of us in danger" Squall said quietly. Rinoa huffed and flopped down into a chair. She crossed her arms over her chest and attempted to pout.   
  
"What's the plan then," Irvine drawled from the corner. Squall sighed and shook his head, sending his bangs flopping down over his eyes.   
  
"Seifer, you pick a team to go in first. If you are unsuccessful, I'll follow with Rinoa and whoever is left," Squall said. Seifer blinked a bit, almost amazed; Squall had just put him in change of something.   
  
"I want Zell and Selphie," Seifer said without thinking. There was no way Zell would be staying behind, and Selphie's full-cure magic was too valuable to be without.   
  
"Good, we'll take Irvine then. You take the Ragnarok, we'll follow in a hovercraft," Squall said softly, reaching over to take Rinoa's hand.   
  
"Zell, Selph? Let's go," Seifer said, turning to stride out of the room. Zell and Selphie were quickly on his heels, checking to make sure they had all their gear on them.   
  
"I'm flying," Selphie said as they reached the red hulking ship. Zell only nodded curtly, too angry to argue with her.   
  
"Thanks for coming with us Selphie," Seifer said, not really sure why he should be thanking her in the first place. For some reason he had thought it would be him and Zell going alone.   
  
"I couldn't let my demolition duo run off alone could I?" she said with a cheery smile before starting up the ship. It rose into the air, quickly dwarfing the size of the ruined garden and the town of Balamb.   
  
"To Centra," Seifer said softly from the navigator's seat. He prayed that they could reach the two women in time.   
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·» «·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
Quistis' eyes fluttered open slowly, burning from the harshness of the sun. There was a faint memory of being pulled roughly from her wedding bed, but it was all a blur.   
  
She was lying on the ground, gagged and bound. Ellone lay next to her much in the same position. The jewel in Quistis' hand was burning, shimmering with power. Medarra had done something to stop her from tapping into it. Every time she tried to reach for her power whiteness exploded across her vision.   
  
The purple-gowned sorceress stood in front of them now. She was writing sigils on the ground with a long walking staff. She spoke in low tones, arcane words of dark magic. Before her loomed the great ruins of Centra, the place where they had first found Odin.   
  
The ground was rumbling suddenly, pieces of the ruins falling away as the earth crumbled beneath it. Then from the dust of the ground tiny stone points began to rise, which erupted into massive castle towers. The rest of the castle followed bursting from the ground in one giant blast.   
  
The palace was bigger then two of the gardens put together. The words "My Blue Heaven" were sprawled over the door in elegant stone carving. Quistis felt some invisible force lifting her from the ground and pulling her towards the caste drawbridge, which Medarra was now striding across. The courtyard of the castle was open air with a huge fountain that sprayed water into the basin below it.   
  
It was of three women all in long flowing gowns. With a fleeting glance Quistis noticed one of them had a gem imbedded in her hand. The phantom hands shoved her along, giving her no time to explore the fountain further. To think this magnificent place had been buried under the sand all those years.   
  
Ellone and she were pushed down a rough flight of stairs into a set of winding tunnels. The darkness enveloped them as they were pupated towards their destination. Ellone was screaming against her gag. Quistis tried to steady her heartbeat. She must be strong for Ellone.   
  
They reached a huge familiar room. Quistis looked around, her heart hitting the floor. This was the same room where Medarra had turned her parents into GF's; the same shackles decorated the walls. Medarra stood at the head of the room poring over a great tome on a pedestal.   
  
"Take her to the same one I shackled her mother in," Medarra said with a grin, obviously enjoying the irony of the situation.   
  
Quistis was dragged to the shackles and untied. She tried to lurch forward against the invisible wall holding her. She struggled against the force as it snapped her into the shackles. Ellone didn't fight; she looked as if she had all ready resigned herself to her fate.   
  
"What is this place?" Quistis asked, spitting on the floor to get the taste of the foul gag out of her mouth.   
  
"The castle of Centra. Once, an illustrious line of blue sorceresses ruled this land. Your mother was the last Queen of Centra. I plan to take your power and rule it myself," Medarra answered, not even turning to look at them.   
  
"People will come for us," Ellone said, her voice a little shaky. Medarra turned at last, her cruel grinning showing her pointing canines.   
  
"That, my dears, is exactly what I was counting on."   
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
Authors Notes:   
  
Thanks everyone for reading, and sticking by me on this fic. I just realized yesterday how long I have been writing it. At one time I was so close to dropping it. But it was all of you that convinced my to stick with it. And now look where it is, thank you ALL so much for that.   
  
Just wanted to say a special thanks to Wravyn, again, for being the most awesome person and grammarizing me.   
  
Also wanted to give a big shout out to the other parts of the brain, Jacks, Neha, Faltering Hues, and Iflana!   
  



	25. Hyperion Ode

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Twenty Five**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Hyperion Ode**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
Seifer tapped his foot impatiently, as he glared out the window. He had no idea how the hell they were going to defeat Medarra. It was getting on his already frayed nerves. As much as he hated to admit it.   
  
He needed help.   
  
Eden had been junctioned to Quistis; or else that would have been the simple answer. He shook his head fiercely willing the answer to come to him.   
  
(~ The answer is simple, master ~) Seifer hadn't even noticed the heaviness crashing down around him. He was attuned to Diablos now. No longer did the strength of Diablos' gravitational pull affect him.   
  
"What is it?" Seifer spoke out loud without meaning to. Selphie looked over at him from the pilot's seat with a questioning look in her eyes.   
  
(~ Medarra found only one way to rid herself of her enemies, Perhaps you can use it against her ~)   
  
The thought was almost astonishing to Seifer. Why didn't they think of that before?   
  
"How do we do it?" he asked his green eyes clouded over.   
  
(~ Former Sorceress Edea will know the spell ~)   
  
Seifer nodded curtly grabbing the communicator from his hook amongst the control. He pushed the button in on the side.   
  
"Squall?" he said into it with a smirk.   
  
"What is it?" Squall's voice came back over the com.   
  
"I know how to defeat her. We'll bind her to a life of eternal servitude, as a GF" Seifer said his grin growing more wicked by the second. There was a stunned silence on the other end of the com for a moment, before Squall started to ground out a plan.   
  
  
  
¸.·´¯`·» «·´¯`·.¸   
  
  
  
The plan was only slightly changed when they found a great castle dominating where the ruins had once been. It seemed like forever ago that Seifer had saved Tolia's life there on his SeeD exam. The world had been turned upside down since then. Life was forever changed.   
  
Quistis would never revolutionize Timber.   
  
The thought was a strange one at such an important time. It had never really donned on him till now. Till this instant when they were landing the huge Ragnarock in front of the new castle that Centra sported.   
  
It was a strange feeling to know that Medarra had changed the fate of their lives forever. Was this how Squall felt during the sorceress war? For an instant Seifer felt sorry for him. Perhaps he had truly made peace with Squall, at last.   
  
He, Selphie and Zell were striding into the castle as one group. Squall, Rinoa and Irvine walked behind them. Squall's team was to find Matron and Cid.   
  
Seifer's team mission was to get the two sorceresses' out, and to buy them some time to cast the spell. It they were lucky it would all end today. The two groups split at the courtyard where the fountain was dominant. Each of them had a walkie-talkie, so they could stay in constant communication.   
  
"Where do evil sorceress keep their prisoners" Zell asked looking at Seifer. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.   
  
"Basement, obviously" Seifer responded heading down a corridor. Selphie and Zell followed behind him, their weapons at the ready,   
  
It reminded Seifer of the time they had gone into the depths of the deep-sea research center. If only they had been able to kill Medarra then., none of this would be happening.   
  
Zell opened a door finding a set of stairs leading downward. His face was full of anger, obviously his thought residing with Ellone. Seifer brought up the rear, a fire spell roiling in his hand to light the way.   
  
"We got Matron" Squall's voice squawked over the walkie-talkie.   
  
"Thank Hyne" Selphie whispered into the darkness. Seifer felt the same ounce of relief lifted from his shoulders. It was one less thing to worry about. Zell stopped at a door and glanced back his eyes meeting Seifer.   
  
"Do it" Seifer growled feeling his temper rising. His wife was in there, he knew it. Zell kicked the door open bursting into the familiar stone room. Seifer was taken aback for a moment, the dream flooding back to him. This was where his father had been turned into the Guardian Force he had killed.   
  
"Zell!" Ellone's scream filled the room form where she was chained at the wall. Quistis was chained next to her, eyes trailed to Seifer. Medarra stood at the head of the room with a wicked grin on her face.   
  
"Finally, you have arrived. My son" Medarra said her voice prickling his skin.   
  
"I'm here to take my wife" Seifer said his voice stony. Zell was working his way toward s the wall, his eyes glaring at the sorceress.   
  
"They will not be leaving here alive. I will drain their powers and become the true queen of Centra" Medarra said.   
  
"Why?" Seifer asked walking forward in hope to keep her busy.   
  
"Your father betrayed me. I vowed revenge on the entire lineage of that whore" Medarra spat her eyes full of rage.   
  
"She is my wife!" Seifer roared throwing himself at his mother. They tumbled to the ground, her laughter filling the room. Zell took the opportunity to unchain Ellone and then Quistis. He lifted Ellone into his arms heading for the door. Selphie helped Quistis and started heading for the door.   
  
"Enough of this" Medarra said shoving her son to the ground. She stood up and ran hand over her skirt. She raised her hand and the room started to fill with fog. Four great swords dropped form the ground slamming into the floor.   
  
"Gilgamesh" Seifer said as the man in red robes dropped from the thin air.   
  
"Keep going, I'll get this" Seifer said extending his arm, Hyperion gripped in his hand.   
  
"Almasy" Gilgamesh growled one of his hands touching the scarf covering his wounded eye. Seifer winced, no longer seeing his mother, who was now hidden behind Gilgamesh. He heard the sounds of battle coming from the stairs behind him.   
  
Seifer struck first bringing his Hyperion down on the red robbed man. Blood splattered across the floor, and Seifer realized it was his. He didn't even see the great sword coming for his side. He took a step back shaking off his wound. With a smirk he rushed forward again, raising his Hyperion. Gilgamesh's Excalibur was there to meet it.   
  
With a clank, the Excalibur sheered right through the black metal of the Hyperion. Seifer was stunned for a second staring at the pistol handle in his hand. Another sword bit into his arm and he fell forward onto one knee.   
  
Time seemed to slow as he watched three slow drops of blood plop to the floor. Each splattering with a new shape, staining the floor forever.   
  
Then there was a hand on his shoulder.   
  
He looked up through hazy eyes and saw Selphie standing there with a tiny smile on her face. Cool healing magic lightening through his veins.   
  
"We'll fight him together" Selphie said.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
A/n:   
  
Omg. Sorry it has taken me so long to update this! I've been busy with somethigns for school. I hope to update more frequently.   
  
Thanks everyone for reading. We are nearing the end of this journey together. :) 


	26. Avenged Monody

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Twenty Six**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Avenged Monody**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
Everything was spinning, the room, the world, and his thoughts.   
  
Selphie was helping him to his feet, the serene smile so out of place. Seifer couldn't help but stare at the broken half of Hyperion still clutched in his hand. The black metal was sheered right through revealing the silver inner layer. He dropped it watching it clunk to the floor in slow motion.   
  
How was he supposed to fight the ancient GF when he had no weapon.   
  
  
  
**

¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»   
  
  
  


** Quistis kept looking back at the castle. Her husband was in there, with only Selphie to help him.   
  
"Quistis?" Matron spoke up her voice soft. Quistis looked towards the woman who had been her second mother.   
  
"Summon Eden. We will need her help" Edea said continuing to draw on the stones of the courtyard with the chalk. She had drawn a great circle, filled with concentric designs around the fountain. The three sorceresses forever trapped in stone stared down at Quistis as she began to summon.   
  
Eden sprang from the stone around them, her grotesque form shadowing them all. Her black eyes searched them all, understand immediately what they were about to do.   
  
_(~ There is no time to waste, my daughter ~)_   
  
With the help of Eden, Edea began to teach them how to cast the spell that would be Medarra's undoing.   
  
  
  
**

«·´¯`·.¸ «·´¯`·.¸   
  
  
  


** Gilgamesh's swords were spinning around him slowly as he again tried to make his decision of which one to chose. Seifer's eyes locked on the huge back one, the one that used to belong to his father.   
  
It's swirling black designs called to Seifer, the hilt seeming to whisper his name. Selphie struck at Gilgamesh her nunchuku slithering metallically. He moved in time with battle watching the swords circle the huge guardian force.   
  
_Excalibur.... Excalipoor.... _   
  
Seifer leapt forward, his hand curling around the great hilt of the sword. With a backward motion he pulled it from the ground, it coming up into his hands as light as a feather.   
  
  
  
**

¸.·´¯`·».·´¯`·»   
  
  
  


** Quistis held the fist-sized crystal in both hands. Irvine had swiped it off of a chandler in the dining room while looking for Matron. It would be the perfect conduit for the spell. Quistis glanced at her mother for a second, pain twanging in her heart.   
  
"I call upon the power of the blue sorceress, and those who have came before me. The power of my mother Eden and her mother before that" Quistis said loudly her voice ringing out over the barren courtyard.   
  
Then she began to pull power from the gem in her hand. Blue sparks shot up her arms quickly surrounding her body in an aura of azure. She channeled all the power into the tiny crystal, chanting the arcane words matron and Eden had gone over carefully with all of them. She walked carefully through the circle passing the crystal onto Rinoa.   
  
Rinoa grasped the new blue sparkling crystal hand, taking Quistis' hand in her other.   
  
"I call upon the power of the black sorceress, and those who have came before me. The power of Edea and the power of Ultimicia" Rinoa said as she tapped into her sorceress powers. Her creamy white wings unfurled form her back. Her wings folded around her shoulders, the white feathers brushing Qusitis' arm. She touched the tip of each wing to the crystal, a golden light surrounding her.   
  
Ellone took the crystal from Rinoa, sliding her other hand into Qusitis' free hand.   
  
"I call upon the power of the white sorceress, and those who have come before me. The power of my mother, and her mother before that" Ellone's voice was more timid as she cast into the crystal. Her healing magic turned the gem a brilliant white color.   
  
The she tossed it up into the air, grasping Rinoa's free hand. There is stood in the air suspended between the three of them. They began to chant.   
  
  
  
**

«·´¯`·.¸ «·´¯`·.¸   
  
  
  


** "Defeat my rival, my son" the words hissed across his mind searing into his brain like hot metal. The words of his father, the black armored man's soul trapped forever inside the sword. Seifer glared at Gilgamesh his eyes forged of hatred and pain.   
  
"You gave me that, when you defeated him in the Lunatic Pandora. The sword I had been lusting after for so long" Gilgamesh said his single red eye glaring.   
  
"It was my father's" Seifer said his hand tightening around the cool black metal.   
  
"I expect to receive it back before the battle is over, Almasy" Gilgamesh said striking out at him with his glimmering Excalibur. Seifer moved without thinking, blocking with the Zantetsuken.   
  
Selphie was casting holding her nunchuku out in front of her, smile still on her face. Yellow filled Seifer's vision, as an Aura spell sprung up around him.   
  
It sent power surging through him. Seifer felt as if his father was standing right there behind him. Watching over him as he readied the sword. The tip of the sword glinted in the dim light of the room as it slashed through the red robes hitting skin. It was like a hot knife sliding through butter.   
  
Gilgamesh screamed golden light erupting form his uninjured eye. He threw his head back, hands clenching in rage in front of him. He was dissipating, his read robes breaking into pieces, The pieces floated to the ceiling merging with the air.   
  
Only Medarra was left behind.   
  



	27. Requiem for an Eternal Solider

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Chapter Twenty Seven**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Requiem for an Eternal Solider **«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
The three sorceress eerie chanting filled the courtyard. All of them, were sights to see with Rinoa's wings wrapped around all of them. Heads thrown back, staring at the pulsating crystal in the sky. Their arcane words rose to a crescendo before suddenly dropping off.   
  
Quistis watched it as it slowly floated down and landed in her open, awaiting palm. All of their gazes trailed upwards again as a loud screeching filled the air.   
  
In the sky a horde of ruby dragons flapped their wings mightily. They landed in the courtyard, their talons clanking on the stone.   
  
"We can handle this, go Quistis" Rinoa said with a tiny nod. The blond ex instructor looked around for a few moments, a weapons were brandished around the courtyard. She knew it was all a distraction that was how Medarra worked.   
  
Quistis only took a moment to think before she turned and ran, leaving the others behind to fight.   
  
  
  
  
  
"Selphie, go help the others" Seifer said after hearing the screech of the dragons. His steely eyes never leaving the statuesque form of his mother. Selphie turned and ran for the stairs her nunchuku at the ready.   
  
"My son" Medarra said her voice softer then he had ever heard it.   
  
"Mother" he spat his eyes blazing. The tension was building in the room; the huge black sword seemed to be vibrating in his hands. Calling for her blood on its sharp blade.   
  
"I forgive you, for all that you've ever done to oppose me. I even forgive you for destroying the research center and my entire crew with it" she said with a serene smile.   
  
"You had me chasing clues around the world, just to keep me busy. Did you know it would be me that came after Quistis?" he demanded tightening his grip on the sword.   
  
"No, I had hoped you would join me" Medarra replied coolly.   
  
"Join you?!" he said outraged, "I already made the mistake of joining with a sorceress before. Never will I be a night again!" his voice was at a shout. Her expression never wavered, her sparkling eyes always trailed on her son.   
  
Quistis rushed into the room them, the glowing crystal clutched in her fist. It's white light escaped from between her fingers. Her boot caught on the broken Hyperion laying discarded on the ground. She went sprawling forward the crystal skittering from her hand across the floor.   
  
Medarra laughed and threw a hand up, a translucent shield pinging into place around Quistis.   
  
"Let me out!" she screamed banging her fist on the wall of her glassy prison. The crystal lay on the floor only a few feet away.   
  
"That is my wife" Seifer said softly looking away from Quistis back to his mother. Medarra only smiled and shook her head softly.   
  
Seifer's hand clenched around the hilt of Zantetsuken. The voice of his father whispered across his mind. Suddenly he knew a skill that was in his blood. It always had been, it always would be. He had tried it before and had never been successful.   
  
He charged his mother, bringing the sword up in a great arch. The sword came down, its blade slicing right along the flesh of her left eye. She would be half-blind forever, like his father had done to Gilgamensh, and he had tried to do to Squall.   
  
Medarra fell to the ground with a scream. She reached up and touched the blood with a shaking hand. It was pouring down her face, unto her dress.   
  
"Seifer, they crystal! You have to put it into her heart!" Quistis shouted banging on the bubble again to get his attention. He nodded and walked over to the crystal. He picked it up slowly off the ground, clenching it in his hand.   
  
He walked over to where his mother lay breathing hysterically. The sword slid from his hand, and it clanked loudly to the ground. He dropped to his knees beside her, looking into her unwounded eye. Slowly her lifted her into his arms, pushing her blood-matted hair away from her face.   
  
"I am sorry, mother" Seifer said gazing down into the face of the mother he had always wanted, but never known he had.   
  
"Seifer..I loved your father. I loved.... him with all of... my heart. I died when he betrayed me" she whispered. Seifer nodded positioning the crystal right above her heart.   
  
"I forgive you too, mother" he said softly tears welling in his eyes. Then he leaned forward and shoved the glowing crystal into her chest. She threw her head back in a scream. Her other hand suddenly came barreling out of no where.   
  
Seifer only saw the glint of silver, before it was shoved into his chest.   
  
"NO!" Quistis screamed her fists pounding on the weakening barrier. Pain exploded trough Seifer's chest as he looked down at the dagger in his chest. He reached up and pulled it out, staring at it lying in his palm before allowing it to clatter to the floor. Then he fell backward, white exploding across his vision.   
  
His mother lay limp across his lap. Her magic was flowing from her body filling the room with a strange glow. Quistis finally broke through the barrier running to Seifer's side. She shoved the body of his mother off his lap and pulled him into hers.   
  
"Seifer" she whispered frantically casting a cure spell into his body. His eyes fluttered open and he shook his head softly.   
  
"Magic will not heal this wound," he said as a trickle of blood escaped his lips and trickled down his pale chin. She shook her head frantically tears rolling down her cheeks. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his, their warmth gone.   
  
"I love you, don't leave me!" she screamed. Pain all she knew was pain. How could this be happening after all they had been through?   
  
_He was running in a field, green and sprinkled with pink wild flowers. Laughter filled his ears, two children ran before him. Their golden hair sparkling in the morning sun. Quistis at his side, the warmth filling his heart._   
  
"Take care of our children" he whispered with a tiny smile.   
  
He reached a bloody hand up and touched her cheek. His fingers left a trail of blood as they fell away. His eyes rolling into the back of his head, all of their green-sparkle lost.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·» «·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
  
  
The clouds mocked her. How dare they be so full, and white on this day. This day where she had to say good bye to husband, so shortly after she had found him.   
  
The gravestone was a towering piece of rock, located on a cliff over looking the ocean. It wasn't far from matron's house. Quistis had wanted him to be buried on the land of his father, Centra.   
  
Everyone was there. They had all showed up to say goodbye to the famed Seifer Almasy.   
  
Failure, Traitor, Husband, Savior.   
  
He lay in a pristine white coffin, it seemed to glow when the sun embraced it. Making the dad man inside almost look alive again. All Quistis wanted was for him to smirk and sit up. He would wonder why they had made such a big deal.   
  
No one was speaking, all of them wrapped up in their memories.   
  
Selphie walked up to the coffin leaning heavily on the arms of Rinoa and Irvine. Selphie had been the one to absorb Medarra's powers when the black sorceress had died. She was still recovering, but wouldn't have missed her chance to see the friend she had made one final time.   
  
"Seifer, I always knew I never had to smile for you. I did though, because everyone needs a little laughter" Selphie whispered tears rolling down her pale face. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his cold forehead. She slowly lay a blood red rose on his chest.   
  
Rinoa stared down at him unable to find the words to say. A lump formed in the back of her throat, they had been through so very much together. She had loved him, and hated him. Never once had she ever wished him death, even when she was looking death in the face at his hands. She placed a rose on his chest and only smiled a bit, before leading Selphie away.   
  
Zell, with Ellone on his arm, was the next to say good bye. Tears were glistening in the normally boisterous man's eyes. A few moths ago if you had told him that he would be crying because of Seifer, he probably would have laughed in your face. Now here he was, staring down at the one man he thought he had hated the most.   
  
"I never got to tell you, that I had forgiven you. Forgiven you for all of the years, that you tormented me. You were like my older brother, I only wish that I had said something" Zell deadpanned closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to Ellone's hair.   
  
"He was a brother to us all" Ellone said taking Zell's rose, along with hers and dropping them both on Seifer's still chest. They moved away making room for Edea, Squall, and Cid.   
  
The three leaders of the garden looked down at the man who had been their biggest failure. But he had also been one of their greatest treasures.   
  
"This rivalry is over, you were always the better man" Squall said. His long fingers dropped the rose almost delicately upon his chest. Cid remained silent, watching his wife as she placed her rose upon her favorite child's lifeless corpse.   
  
"Good bye, Seifer" was all she said before she turned and walked away. Everyone's gaze turned to Quistis as she slowly walked towards the coffin, afraid to let go. They left her alone on the cliff staring down at him.   
  
She was afraid to look away, afraid he might be gone forever. When she left, he would be put into the ground. His pale face never to see the light of day again. The wind blew rustled the petals of the roses lying on his chest. Quistis wanted nothing more then to climb into the coffin and die with him.   
  
She heard a nose behind her and turned. Raijun and Fuijin were walking up the hill, a keyboard tucked under Fuijin's arm. Quistis watched them, eyes filled with tears. Fuijin sat down on the ground, balancing the keyboard in her lap.   
  
Fuijin began to play a sad song, Raijun sitting next to her pulling out a tiny flute. Quistis nodded at them, realizing this was their way of saying good bye.   
  
Fuijin had played at their wedding.   
  
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. The melody filled her to the soul, her hand coming to rest on her stomach.   
  
Quistis knew then that she had a reason to live on. Seifer had left her with on final wish. She had to take care of their children, the two twin babies that were growing inside her right now.   
  
The music swirled around her as she placed her cold lips to his a final time. She would never forget this moment, her final good bye to her husband. To the only man she would ever love. He would forever be her eternal soldier, and this was his song.   
  
A requiem for an eternal solider.   
  
  
  
  
  
**

¸.·´¯`·» FIN «·´¯`·.¸

**


	28. Elegiac Memories

  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»**Epilogue**«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**   
**¸.·´¯`·»**Elegiac Memories**«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
"I'm going to be a great blue sorceress one day!" the little girl shouted stamping her foot. She stuck her tongue out at her older brother. Older only by about two minutes, but he never let her forget it.   
  
"Oh yeah? Well mommy says that I am going to be a great solider just like daddy someday!" he said putting his little fists on his hips.   
  
"Nu-huh, you're too much of a chicken wuss!" she said.   
  
"Am not!" he shouted.   
  
"Are too!" she said running away out of the courtyard. She ran past the bubbling fountain, her brother gaining on them. They ran out of the castle where their mother ruled the land of Centra. They ran along the fields of green that people had taken years growing.   
  
"You'll never catch me!" she squealed running ad fast as she could. She crushed wild flowers beneath her shoes, glancing back at him. He was gaining on her.   
  
"Mommy said we aren't supposed to go out this far!" he said looking back at the castle for a moment. She stopped and eyed him up and down.   
  
"Afraid to get in trouble?" she asked.   
  
"Not really" he said looking back at the castle again.   
  
"Chicken wuss!" she exclaimed.   
  
"I am not!" he said.   
  
"Prove it then, let's go across the bridge!" she said pointing to the stone bridge that spanned across the water. He chewed on his bottom lip.   
  
"Mommy said we aren't supposed to without an adult!" he exclaimed   
  
"So?" she challenged taking a few more steps towards the bridge. He sighed having no choice but to follow her across the bridge.   
  
"See, it's not so bad" the little girl said smiling at her brother.   
  
"Mom is so going to kill us" he said.   
  
"She'll never find out!" she said giggling walking towards the beach.   
  
"I'll never find out what?" came a stern voice from behind them. They both turned to see their mother looking down at them her arms folded across her chest.   
  
"Mommy! We were just looking for you" the little girl said. Quistis gave her daughter a skeptical look and shook her head.   
  
"You know you aren't supposed to go past the bridge" Quistis scolded.   
  
"What are you doing out here, mommy?" the girl asked. Quistis looked up at the cliff, spotting the tip of the white gravestone.   
  
"Well, Eden. I was going to visit your father" Quistis said taking her daughters tiny hand. She took Odin, her sons, hand as well. She led them up the cliff.   
  
"Daddy's grave?" Odin said softly as the breached the top of it, the gravestone fully in view.   
  
"I heard all about Daddy's story in school. That he rode in on a great red dragon to defeat the evil sorceress Medarra, but was killed" Eden said. Quistis chuckled a little and shook her head.   
  
"That's not exactly how it happened" She said softly, feeling the tears well in her eyes.   
  
"Seifer Almasy. Eternal Savior, Eternal Solider, Eternal Husband" Odin said reading the words on the tomb stone.   
  
"If that's not how it happened, then how did it happen?" Eden asked. Quistis sighed and sat down, still remembering the beautiful music Fuijn had played that day.   
  
She pulled Odin into her lap and wrapped an arm around Eden as she sat down next to her.   
  
"It all started with a fight that Rinoa and I had, before your daddy took his SeeD test" Quistis said.   
  
"Aunt Rinoa? But you never fight with her!" Eden interrupted.   
  
"This was a long time ago" Quistis said with a soft smile.   
  
"After my fight with Rinoa I quit SeeD. Your father remained behind -" Quistis was cut off again by her daughter.   
  
"Didn't you love him then?" Eden asked. Quistis laughed tossing her head back slightly.   
  
"No, actually. I couldn't stand him" she responded. Eden opened her mouth to ask another question.   
  
"Let mommy talk" Odin said shooting his sister a dirty look. Eden glared back but shut her mouth.   
  
"Anyway, Seifer stayed to become a SeeD. Little did he know that his SeeD test was another mission that would change the fate of the world, at least his world" Quistis said with a soft smile as she began to tell her two children their story.   
  
The story of two people brought together by fate, to fall in love eternally.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**¸.·´¯`·»¸.·´¯`·»«·´¯`·.¸«·´¯`·.¸**

  
  
  
  
Well, it is finally over. Our journey together has ended once again, my friend.   
  
  
  
I would like to thank all of you for sticking with me, through this entire epic. I think it has been some of my best work. I know the plot line was a little odd, but probably one of the more original things I have written. There were many times I almost dropped this, things were pretty rocky about half way through.   
  
One of the things you might notice if you sit down and read it beginning to end, the fic goes through a total change in the middle. It's almost like reading two different fics. I could have made this much longer, but I didn't want to drag things out.   
  
I started this story with the intent to kill Seifer, hence the name Requiem. A Requiem is a song for the dead. I was hoping to draw emotion from the reader, tears. It is always the things that make you feel true emotion, that stay with you for a long time. That was the kind of writer I wanted to be for this fic. I hope that I have succeded.   
  
Not to mention, I think I've used every single musical refernce that I can think of for a title!   
  
  
  
On to the things you are actually here for, the thanks!   
  
**Jacks** - I start with you because you were my first review on this fic. Thank you for revealing the light of the patented music pack to me. You have no idea how much that helped me out. You were also the first one to get whapped in the head with the titles meaning, thanks for the moooooo's and not revealing it to anyone. I'll try not to staple you to the wall or anything for a few days. AND HER NAME IS NOT MANDERIAN ORANGE. * ahem *   
  
**Neha** - The second person who got hit upside the head with the title. Thank you for keeping my little secret. And thank you for being there from the beginning for me, your reviews have always made me smile. Now that we talk as well, you always make me smile. Little miss busy, is there anything you don't do?   
  
**Faltering Hues** - FH!! :) I think your reaction to the end was the best. You were out of town for most of the updates on this, and it really ment a lot that you even bothered to catch up and read it all. Thank you for all your great coments, on everything and for always being with me. Mac and Apples will lose one of the days oh yes they will!   
  
**Wravyn** - For beta-ing all those chapters for me! Expecially the wedding one, you can grammerize me anytime baby. A long time ago you mentioned this fic in the show and tell forum, on the message board. I didn't really know you then, and you have no idea how much that made my heart soar. I'm glad that someone else feel bad for Medarra.   
  
**General Coments to the whole brain**: All spoons must die, * group huggles *, Seifer's diary, Jacks ever present axe, nehas tearing up of couches, and always pulling someone into the closet.   
  
**Ifalna** - For listening to the preliminary plotline, and telling me that it was great. For wanting to read every chapter anxiously, and always making me smile. You were a big help to me, always.   
  
**Gato Nanashi** - I know you will never read this. But just wanted to say thank you, for being my friend and helping me through some hard times. Believe it or not you did have an influence on this fic, Sir Tupperpie ;)   
  
**SummonerYuna** - I always looked forward your reviews. Every single time I waited to hear your kind words. Thank you for that. You are a beautiful writer.   
  
**Diamond Dust** - Thank you so much for your constant reviews, the always made me smile. I am glad that I could keep your interest for this long.   
  
**Robertdogwood** - One of my new found friends! I'm so glad we started talking Bob, you have showed me a lot of things about FF8 that I didn't know. Thank you for reading all of this monstrousity. Thank you for all of your comments, and nice reviews. I will deffinatly write you a wedding chapter should the need ever arise.   
  
**Sleeping Soul** - Recently you wrote something in your DJ about being flattered by being on a favorites list with some authors, I was one of those authors. !!!! I used to look at your profile and find myself amazed to be on your favorite list, I've always looked up to you SS. Ever since my first days here at fanfiction, and I'm sure I always will. Thank you for gracing my work with your reviews, I am certain that I don't deserve them.   
  
**Kalouah** -- * huggles kala * You are so sweet, and nice! I bet you hear that all the time though, don't you? I've always loved your reviews. Thank you so very much for sticking with me through all of this. I know it must have been hard at times. So when are you going to write a fic?   
  
**Dalpal** - Thanks for reading! * bows to the almighty writer of lost * o_O that reminds me I think I have some catching up to do on that fic!   
  
**Glacial Phoenix Mystiara** - Ohh! I havent talked to you in soo long! But you are still reading this! I love you so much for that! Thank you myst!   
  
**Pixie518** - It was your comment in my Livejournal that made me make this last update. I'm on someones author alert O_O. How dare you say that all you can write is gay porn!! So not true, just look at "to whisper his name"! I can never be a writer of your calibur!   
  
**Ashbear and Wayward Tempest** - Neither of you will ever see this, I'm sure. Wayward wouldn't want to get her hands dirty with a Seifer/Quistis ;), just kidding!! Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to the both of them. Their beuatiful writings have touched my heart and soul, and inpspired me so very much. I can only hope to be half as good as them someday.   
  
I could go on thanking people all day, there are just a few more people whose names I want to meantion because they all left me such great reviews.   
  
BrkAwy, setobsessed, Quis, sabacat, Cyrell, Lerith Everclear (HI MIKE!), Quistis88, Ling-San, and many many more!   
  
  
  
**Another note:**   
  
For those of you who don't know an author on Fanfiction.net recently passed on. His name was Azrieal. () I never knew him personally, but his story really reached out to me. It is amazing how fast a person can be there one moment and gone the next.   
  
If any of you ever get the chance, go read his fics. His wife is updating the last of his chapters right now, and it would be very special to her if you all left a review. Azrieal really was a beautiful writer, his work is amazing, and he left his mark on this world though his writing.   
  
All of us can only hope and aspire to do the same.   
  
  
  
**Some final thoughts:**   
  
I do plan on writing a prequel to this. It will go more into depth on the whole Eden, Odin, Gilgamesh, Medarra love ..rectangle? Please keep your eye out for it over the next few weeks.   
  
This is my first piece that I am actually pleased with. I am glad that I could share it all with you.   
  
And remember everyone always,   
  
**

SEIFTIS FOREVER 

**   
  
  
  
Love,   
~Alonia~ 


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